From Ila Orangun to the Rector’s Lodge: The Making of Dr. Ademola Ebeloku at 58

By Steve Ovirih.

Esteemed readers, today we toast a man who turned humble beginnings into national impact.The glowing narrative is about one enviable achiever, two towns…Ila-Orangun -Ile-Oluji and one story.

Dr. Ademola Iyanda Ebeloku, FCIA, FIMC, MCIPM, MNIM, Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, clocks 58 on July 11. And if there is one word that trails him from Oju Oja in Ila-Orangun to lecture halls across Nigeria, it is consistency. If you trace his path, it reads like a lesson plan for anyone who believes hard work still pays in Nigeria.

Born on July 11, 1967 into the family of the late Chief and Chief Mrs. Ebeloku, young Ademola’s first chalkboard was at St. Michael Primary School, Ila-Orangun. The journey took him through St. Michael, Ile-Ife, Ansar-Ur-Deen Grammar School, and OSCAS before the University of Ilorin beckoned on him in 1989. He didn’t just pass through Ilorin. He conquered it with B.Sc Business Administration, Second Class Upper, 1994. MBA, 2002. M.Sc Management Science, 2006. And the crown, a Ph.D in Business Administration in 2018. Every rung of the academic ladder, climbed with sure footed pace.

But certificates alone do not make a scholar. Work does.

In 1995 he cut his teeth as a Marketing Officer in Lagos. By January 1997, the classroom called him back and Federal Polytechnic, Offa answered. What followed was a textbook rise: Assistant Lecturer to Chief Lecturer in 18 years. Along the way he served as Head of Department, Deputy Dean of Exams and Timetable, Dean of School of Business and Management Studies, and member of the Academic Board. Colleagues at Offa still speak of his fairness in meetings, and his quiet insistence that excellence is not negotiable.

The pen has been just as busy as the podium. Dr. Ebeloku is author of _Industrial Relations in Nigeria_, _Fundamentals of Public Finance_, _Business Ethics and Social Responsibility_, and _Elements of Human Capital Management_. He co-authored two more, and his papers have appeared in journals at home and abroad. NBTE calls on him as a resource person. Other polytechnics call on him as external examiner. The professional bodies listened too, hence the fellowships: Chartered Institute of Administration, International Institute of Chartered Educational Practitioners, and Strategic Institute for National Resources and Human Development. He also holds memberships with NIM and CIPM.

In April 2023, a presidential appointment moved him from Offa to Ile-Oluji as the second substantive Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji. Three years on, the brief is clear and he is delivering: strengthening academic standards, tightening administration, and building bridges with industry and other technical institutions.

Outside the office, titles multiply but the cerebral achiever remains the same. Elder in The Apostolic Church of Nigeria. Mayegun of Isinmi Irepodun, Ila-Orangun. Community man. Family man. Happily married with children.

At 58, Dr. Ebeloku’s story reads like a manual for young lecturers and administrators: start small, work hard, stay humble, publish, serve, and lead with integrity.