- Update 870

A scholar in crop improvement and sustainable agriculture, Prof Charity Aremu, has emerged as the Vice-Chancellor of Venite University, Iloro-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

According to a statement by the university, Aremu emerged from a pool of 25 candidates and became the institution’s second substantive vice-chancellor.

Aremu, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Landmark University, Kwara State, boasts of a blend of academic distinction, administrative experience and research expertise.

The statement said she would implement a blueprint aimed at bridging academia and industry by promoting certified skill acquisition alongside degree programmes through innovative teaching approaches.

She is also mandated to drive student enrolment, foster good neighbourliness, establish a tech-innovation hub to promote talent discovery, and strengthen national and international academic partnerships.

Other agenda items include “curriculum reform in line with accrediting bodies’ standards, promoting a grantsmanship culture, aligning with global ranking benchmarks, and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

“Above all, Prof Aremu will espouse accountability and build a robust financial base for Venite University through innovations that promote holistic growth and development,” the statement read.

Aremu began her academic journey at the University of Ibadan, where she studied Agricultural Biology and graduated in 1992, winning the Royal Dutch Shell BP Award and Raymond Zard Scholarship for Best Graduating Student.

She later obtained her MSc and PhD in Agricultural Biology, Plant Breeding and Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Ibadan and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, in 1994 and 2004, respectively.

She also earned a certificate in sustainable horticultural crop production from Wilo Farms in California, United States.

Aremu spent nearly two decades at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, rising from Assistant Lecturer to Professor in 2011, before joining Landmark University in 2015.

Across the institutions, she served as Head of Department, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, and Director of the African Agripreneurship Development Centre.

She also chaired several committees, including those on Quality Assurance, Appointments and Promotions, and Strategic Planning, and presided over the Academic Board and Senate for several years.

During her tenure as Vice-Chancellor of Landmark University, the institution attained a global ranking by Times Higher Education.

Aremu has served as an external examiner to universities within and outside Nigeria, including the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ilorin and North-West University, South Africa.

She is also an accreditation team member of the National Universities Commission.

In research, she has published over 100 articles and book chapters indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, with over 2,000 citations on Google Scholar and an h-index above 15 on Scopus.

She is listed among the 2026 Top 500 researchers in Nigeria by SciVal.

She has attracted notable research grants, including funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa for drought-resistant maize development, and co-led the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa II project. She also participated in research on African Cassava Mosaic Virus, presenting technical papers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.