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Summary
Damilola Agbalajobi has been promoted to full professor of Political Science at OAU, becoming the department's first female professor since its founding in 1962. With over a decade of service at the university and a strong academic track record in gender and political studies, her elevation underscores a significant step toward gender representation in Nigeria's academic landscape.
The Department of Political Science at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has promoted Damilola Agbalajobi to the rank of professor, marking a historic milestone as she becomes the first female professor in the department’s 63-year history.
The university’s Appointment and Promotions Committee approved the promotion at its meeting on 14 Apr. 2025, and it will take effect on October 1, 2025.
Damilola, who joined the department in March 2012, described the promotion as a deeply fulfilling moment in her academic journey. Speaking to the media after receiving the news, she credited her success to divine grace and years of persistence.
“I am sincerely overwhelmed and grateful to God for the privilege of becoming a Professor of Political Science at the Obafemi Awolowo University,” she said. “I joined the university exactly 13 years ago, in March 2012. At that time, I was pursuing my PhD at the University of Lagos.”
She extended appreciation to those who played critical roles in her journey. “I want to thank God for all the people who have been instrumental in this journey so far. I thank my supervisors at the University of Lagos. I also want to appreciate those I met along the way – those who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself, and those who have mentored me.”
Currently on a fellowship as a senior research fellow with the Open Society University Network (OSUN) Forum on Democracy and Development at the Bogota Hub – Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia, Damilola reaffirmed her commitment to academic advancement and mentorship.
Before joining OAU, Damilola taught for five years at Redeemer’s University in Mowe, Ogun State. The university has since relocated to Ede in Osun State.
She earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Ilorin in 1997 and 2006, respectively, and obtained her PhD from the University of Lagos in 2017.
Damilola’s academic interests span gender studies, peace and conflict, and political economy. She is widely recognised for her scholarship on female political participation in West Africa. Her book, *Promoting Gender Equality in Political Participation: New Perspectives on Nigeria*, was published in 2021.
She has received numerous travel grants to present her research at international conferences and is affiliated with several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Political Science Association and the Nigerian Young Academy. She is also a fellow of LeidenASC in the Netherlands and the Ife Institute of Advanced Studies.
