By Ghazali Ibrahim
An Ikorodu-born academic, Kazeem Adeola Oshikoya, has been appointed the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the proposed University of Technology, Epe, marking a significant step in the development of higher education in Lagos State.
Oshikoya, a professor of pharmacology and a researcher in clinical pharmacology and drug safety, is expected to lead the institution in its formative years as it prepares to commence academic activities.
Before his appointment, Oshikoya served as a professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology at the Lagos State University College of Medicine in Ikeja, Lagos, where he has spent over two decades in teaching, research and academic administration.
He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree and a Master’s degree in Pharmacology from the University of Lagos before earning a PhD in Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Nottingham.
Throughout his academic career, Oshikoya has built a strong reputation in pharmacovigilance, pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety research.
He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to studies on rational medicine use, drug metabolism and pharmacogenomics.
In addition to his teaching and research roles, the scholar has served in several academic leadership positions, including acting head of the Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology at LASU’s College of Medicine. He is also an associate editor of the West African Journal of Pharmacology and Drug Research.
Over the years, Oshikoya has received several scholarships and academic fellowships, including the Lagos State Government foreign scholarship for postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom and other international research grants and training fellowships.
His appointment as the pioneer vice-chancellor of the University of Technology, Epe, is seen by stakeholders as a strategic move to lay a strong academic and research foundation for the new institution, which is expected to focus on science, innovation and technology-driven education in Lagos State.
