PROFESSOR, MATHEW OLA-ROTIMI AJAYI

One fateful day of 10th January 1964, a child was born in the town of old provincial headquarter of Kabba to the family of Ajayi Ewenla. That was after about 15 years of waiting on the part of his mother for an addition to her only daughter. That child was christened Durojaiyeola Rotimi, a belief that he would not go like others before him.

God simply confirmed that name in the life of the young boy as he began his educational career early enough, passed through the famous St. Augustine’s College Kabba in 1979 before proceeding to the University of Nigeria Nsukka in 1980 and graduated in 1984 with a B.Sc. Degree 2nd class upper Political Science.

After the NYSC in the then Anambra State College of Education, Awka, he went to the University of Ilorin for the Masters Degree Programme in Political Science. He also enrolled and bagged the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) of the same University. He there after registered for the PhD Degree of the university, which he successfully completed.

Immediately after the Masters Degree, he was offered a teaching appointment by his Department in 1989 as an assistant lecturer, rose through rank to the position of Senior Lecturer in 1996. Between 2004 and 2005, he was at the Delta State University, Abraka as a visiting senior Lecturer and Head Department of Political Science. He became a professor of Political Science and member of faculty, and Head of Department Policy and Strategic Studies, Covenant University in November 2005.

Professor Ola Rotimi Ajayi is a recipient of some national and international awards. At the University of Nigeria Nsukka, he was a Federal Government Scholar; haven won the Federal government Merit Award between 1981 and 1984.

At the University of Ilorin, he was the best M.Sc. Political Science in the 1986/87 academic session. He also won the Fulbright Fellowship, which took him to Stanford University California and the University of Texas at Austin both in United States between 1993 and 1994. He has published widely in reputable outlets across the continents of the world. His research interests span across the fields of comparative politics, political economy, especially labour politics, democratization and civil society.


At Covenant University, Professor Ajayi is a man of many parts, serving as Chairman or member of different Committees. Among these are
Chairman, Standing Committee on Examinations
Chairman, University Parley
Chairman, Senate Journal and Publication Committee
Member, Senate Curriculum Committee
Member, School of Postgraduate Studies Committee

He is currently Dean College of Business and Social Sciences, a position he has occupied since September 2006.

Professor Ajayi is married to beautiful Helen Ayinke and blessed with children