VC Trinity University dies after brief illness

The Governing Council and the Management of Trinity University, Yaba, Lagos have announced the passage of the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Charles Korede Ayo.

In a statement released by the Corporate Affairs department, the university disclosed that Professor Ayo passed away in the early hours of Wednesday August 2, 2023, “after a brief illness.”

The Pro-Chancellor of the university, Pastor Samuel Olatunji, while addressing members of Management and staff, had commiserated with the family of the late Vice Chancellor and the university community at large. He described the development as shocking and unexpected, adding, however, that the Almighty God rules over the affairs of men, and has the sovereign prerogative over life and death.

He remarked further that death is the way of all flesh and that, for believers, “whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s,” quoting Romans 14:8 in the Bible.

He emphasized that the late Vice Chancellor had lived a fulfilled Christian and professional life, and had made impact by contributing in no small measure to the success of the University, in so short a time.

“We are grateful to the Almighty God for a life that was meaningfully well spent in different areas of human endeavour and particularly in the tertiary education sector. To the glory of God, Professor Ayo reached the top of his career with soaring records of achievement. He laboured and succeeded to get our University on a sound and respectable footing, and impacted so many lives, both within and outside of the University’ Pastor Olatunji said.

The Pro-Chancellor further implored the family of the late professor, and the University community, to take courage and solace in the Lord and build on the legacies of the departed scholar.

The Registrar of the University, Mr David O. Oyejide, said the university would deeply miss the Vice Chancellor, and prayed that the Lord would keep the family and the University that he left behind.

Pst. Samuel Olatunji (Pro-Chancellor & Chairman), Prof. Charles Ayo (Vice-Chancellor), Dcn. Adebowale Tade, Pst. Akin Osinubi, Dr. Olufemi Oyinsan, Engr. Bayo Kolade, Prof. (Mrs.) Mbang Femi-Oyewo MFR, Mrs. Titi Akintemi, Mrs. Folasade Philips, Mr. Babawande Majekodunmi, Professor Ayo had been pioneer Vice Chancellor of Trinity University until his death. The University was approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria in January 2019 through the National Universities Commission (NUC), and was issued with a provisional licence to operate as a private university.

To the credit of the late scholar, the University, under his leadership, recorded landmark achievements, including securing a first round of NUC accreditation of four programmes in 2021 and a second round of accreditation of eight more programmes in 2022, and the issuance of full operational licence to the University by the Federal Government.

He also led the University to securing professional accreditation of the Nursing programme by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, as well as professional accreditation of theMedical Laboratory Science programme, by the Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria.

Before joining Trinity University, he had earlier been Vice Chancellor of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, between 2012 and 2016.

In his journey to becoming a Professor of Computing, Professor Ayo had graduated as the best student in Mathematics (with Computer Science) at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1984; obtained M.Sc degree in Computer Science at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, in 1993; and added a Ph.D. degree in Mathematics (Numerical Computation), from the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, in 1999.

Professor Charles Ayo was happily married and blessed with children.