Professor Bello Becomes UNILAG'S 11th Vice Chancellor

The Governing Council of the University of Lagos has appointed Professor Rahamon Adisa Bello, a Professor of Chemical Engineering as the eleventh Vice-Chancellor of the University. The appointment which is for a period of five (5) years takes effect from Monday, November 12, 2012. The Governing Council at its special meeting held on November 10, 2012 unanimously adopted the report of the Selection Board that Professor Rahamon Adisa Bello be appointed Vice-Chancellor with effect from Monday, November 12, 2012.   Professor Bello who was the Deputy Vice-chancellor (Management Services) has been serving in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor in an acting capacity since May 12, 2012. Born on October 6, 1948, in Iboro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Professor Rahamon Adisa Bello attended Egbado College, Ilaro, Ogun State for his secondary school education and passed out in 1966 with Grade One in the West African School Certificate Examination. He later attended Technical College, Ibadan, now The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and obtained the Ordinary National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 1968. Professor Bello proceeded to University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he graduated with First Class Honours degree in Chemical Engineering (1974). Professor Bello started work as a Mechanical Engineering Technician with the Nigerian Tobacco Company in 1969, and after graduation at Ile-Ife in 1974, he served his NYSC year with the then North-Eastern State Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Maiduguri. He worked briefly at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources as a Petroleum Engineer before proceeding to the University of Waterloo, Canada, where he earned M.A.Sc (1977) and PhD (1981) in Chemical Engineering. He joined the service of the University of Lagos as Assistant Lecturer in 1977 and rose steadily to the posts of Lecturer II, Lecturer 1 and Senior Lecturer, in 1981, 1982 and 1985 respectively. He was appointed Associate Professor in 1991 and Professor of Chemical Engineering in 1998. Professor Bello specializes in Biochemical Engineering Processes and has carried out researches and consultancy in Industrial Biotechnology. He has supervised many postgraduate students and taught courses in Chemical Process Industries, Transport Phenomena, Biochemical Engineering and so on. He has also been a reviewer of various national and international journals including the Journal of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineering, African Journals of Science and Technology and Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. Professionally, he has offered consultancy and professional services to various organizations including; Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Nig. Ltd., Elf Petroleum, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Proceng Limited, among others. He was the National Project Manager for the UNDP/ILO project on “Strategies for Self-Employment Promotion” in 1991/1992. He later in 1994 became a member of the Ogun State Executive Council as the State Commissioner for Special Duties, a position he held till 1996. Professor Bello was a member of the Central Working Group of Vision 20-2020 and served as alternative Chairman for the Energy and Transportation Sub-section. He has also been a member of the Governing Council of Olabisi Onabanjo University (2007-2011), and Ogun State College of Education. In the University of Lagos, he was the Head of Department of Chemical Engineering between 1999 and 2002; Chairman, Biotechnology Group from 2000; Chairman, Human Resources Development Board (2003-2009); Chairman, UNILAG Muslim Community from 2005 and Member, University Senate (1988-1992 and 1998 to date). He was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services) in April 2010 and became the Acting Vice-Chancellor in May 12, 2012. Professor Bello is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers; Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers and Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Engineering. Professor Bello is a community man. He has been the Chairman of his own community’s association in Lagos, Yewa Union Lagos since 2000. Professor Bello is married and blessed with four children, all of whom are alumni of the University of Lagos. The Governing Council, Senate, Staff, Students and the University Community in general wish Professor Rahamon Adisa Bello a very successful tenure as the 11th Vice-Chancellor of the University.