OLUWASEUN SUCCESS OLUWAFUNMILAYO WINS FUOYE’S MAIDEN ONE-DAY VICE-CHANCELLOR CONTEST
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OLUWASEUN SUCCESS OLUWAFUNMILAYO WINS FUOYE’S MAIDEN ONE-DAY VICE-CHANCELLOR CONTEST
Amidst a display of elegance, 23-year-old Miss Oluwaseun Success Oluwafunmilayo, a final-year student from the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, emerged as the winner of the Maiden One-Day Vice-Chancellor contest at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
She was announced as the winner on Saturday, 17th May 2025, by Prof. Adebola Adewunmi Aderibigbe, Coordinator of the One-Day VC contest and Director of the Directorate of Career Services, during the event titled “Stewardship of the Maiden One-Day Vice-Chancellor Engagement & Announcement of Prizes”.
The event took place at the Fasina Conference Centre on the University’s main campus in Oye-Ekiti, located in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
The highly competitive contest saw Adebimpe Hamdala Adedoyin from the Department of Architecture finish as First Runner-Up, Ojomo Jesubanke from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering as Second Runner-Up, and Adeyemo Faith Ayomide from the Faculty of Pharmacy as Third Runner-Up.
Adebimpe scored 79.25, Jesubanke achieved 78.5, and Faith received 77.5. Oluwafunmilayo claimed the overall prize with an impressive score of 88% after excelling in the mentally demanding tasks presented to all contestants.
The highly engaging tasks included Book Review, Critical Thinking, Community Engagement, Current Affairs, and Public Speaking.
These tasks were assessed by industry experts and distinguished professionals who have excelled in the relevant fields.
Special awards were also presented to outstanding candidates who excelled in the five areas of engagement.
For instance, the award for Best in Letter Writing was won by Miss Ojomo Jesubanke, the First Applicant award went to Osunlaja Toheeb, along with other special recognitions.
In his address, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Tajudeen Bolanle Opoola, encouraged the students to seize the various opportunities the University is rolling out to train them into becoming better leaders for the future. He highlighted that the One-Day Vice-Chancellor contest was one of these initiatives aimed at preparing them for future challenges and leadership roles in life.
“The University is here to equip you for making a positive impact on the nation. You have distinguished yourselves as exemplary leaders. Never forget FUOYE wherever life takes you,” he stated.
Prof. Aderibigbe, Coordinator of the One-Day Vice-Chancellor contest, reflected on the rigorous process the candidates underwent, stating,
“The exercise spanned six weeks, starting with the acceptance of applications from 400L students who had a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.0 and above.
Forty-six students applied, with the process designed to encourage genuine interest in service.
We first identified the first applicant, who demonstrated sincere intent to serve, earning an award for his efforts.
Applicants were invited to submit organic letters of application, eliminating AI-assisted submissions.
Miss Ojomo Jesubanke wrote the best letter. They were also asked to submit a one-page Curriculum Vitae (C.V), with Hamdala Adebimpe’s submission standing out as the best.
Awards were given for these achievements.”
“We then assessed the candidates on organic write-ups of their vision statements. After compiling the list of successful candidates, we selected the ten who advanced to the semi-final stage. At this point, the contest intensified, with the participants facing rigorous examinations in five challenging areas: Public Speaking, Current Affairs, Community Engagement/Projects, Book Review, and Critical Thinking. It was from this stage that the winners emerged: the overall winner, first runner-up, second runner-up, and third runner-up,” he concluded.
Prof. Aderibigbe, who revealed that the One-Day Vice-Chancellor initiative was conceived by Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, the substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University currently on leave, expressed his gratitude to the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olubunmi Shittu, for approving the final phase of the programme.
He emphasised that, following the comprehensive training the participants had received, they were now equipped to take on pivotal leadership roles in the near future, regardless of where they find themselves.
Also addressing the large audience of students and participants, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, FUOYE’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Partnership, Research, Innovation and Linkages), shared several inspiring success stories of students from a university where he had previously served as Vice-Chancellor.
He encouraged the students by stating: “This One-Day VC initiative was inspired by President Tinubu when he was Governor of Lagos State, where he introduced the One-Day Governor programme. This initiative, he explained, aims to show that leadership goes beyond what you currently see. Leadership is about service. From your experiences, you should have realised this by now”.
“It’s not about riding in luxury cars or having events revolve around you. Leadership is about recognising that the resources and privileges associated with office are meant to make your job of serving the people easier. If you get it wrong, it will undermine the very essence of leadership”.
“True leadership is when others see you serve and follow your example without you needing to ask them to. A community service like this has even helped secure a job for an alumnus from the university where I once served as Vice-Chancellor”.
“You are already one step ahead. Stay current and keep learning.”
Further elaborating on the University’s intentions for organising the One-Day VC contest, he said: “There are certain extracurricular activities that you will engage in going forward, and they will require your voluntary participation. This will prepare you for the greatness ahead. The most important thing is that you have successfully undergone the training we provided”.
The One-Day VC was simply a tool to create this valuable opportunity for you. Through this programme, we have prepared you to aspire to greatness and equipped you for the journey.”
“To be a leader, you must dare to be different. It is this difference that makes great people stand out. You have all succeeded in becoming the One-Day VC, but the challenge is that we need just one person to hold that title”.
Each of you who made it this far has already proven you have the potential to be the next One-Day VC. We will start online reading initiatives with you, launching a volunteer reading community. Service to humanity should excite you, not fraudulent activities. It takes excellent minds and great thinkers to do what we are doing here.”
President of the FUOYE Students’ Union Government, Miss Olorunsola Abiodun Mary, who attended the event alongside her executive team, expressed gratitude to the University management for initiating the programme.
She encouraged her fellow students to seize the many opportunities the management continually offers and warmly congratulated the winners at both the semi-final and final stages.
On behalf of the ten semi-finalists, Adebimpe Hamdala shared her thoughts, saying:
“This initiative has been both rigorous and challenging, yet incredibly educational. Initially, it seemed ambitious, but I soon realised it was a call for students to undergo leadership training. We completed a CBT exam, wrote essays, and moved on to the second phase.
“Despite the stress, we persisted, and then came the community service, which was equally demanding and measured by impact. We accomplished something meaningful”.
Throughout this process, I have learned resilience and the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone to achieve more. A heartfelt thank you to the University for this incredible opportunity, and special thanks to the Director, Prof. Aderibigbe, for the exceptional training”.
“I am determined to lead with all I have learned. The competition was tough and thorough, and I am grateful for the experience.”
Three student leaders were tasked with overseeing the process to ensure transparency and accountability.
One of them, Oluwanufemi Johnson, called for a standing ovation from the students in appreciation of the management and organisers for their warm hospitality.
He addressed the winners, saying:
“To the winners, we offer our heartfelt congratulations. Your hard work has earned you these well-deserved awards, and you should be immensely proud.
The One-Day VC challenge is not solely about winning – we are all proud of your achievements,” he remarked.
Other distinguished guests included the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Captain Raymond Bitanis, the President of the University’s Alumni Association, Mr. Tope Arogundade, and hundreds of students and their leaders.
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