Professor AbdulGaniyu Ambali, Former UNILORIN Vice-Chancellor, Dies at 68

ILORIN — The Nigerian academic community is mourning the loss of Professor AbdulGaniyu Ambali, a distinguished scholar of veterinary medicine and the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 68.

The news of his death was confirmed in a statement issued by the University of Ilorin’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Kunle Akogun, on behalf of the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole. According to the university, Professor Ambali died in the early hours of Saturday following a brief illness at his residence in the Oloje Housing Estate, Ilorin.

Born on November 29, 1957, in Ilorin, Kwara State, Professor Ambali built an impressive career in academia. His educational journey began at Pakata Primary School, followed by Government Secondary School, Jalingo. He went on to obtain his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981, before furthering his studies at the University of Liverpool, where he earned both his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in veterinary medicine.

Before his rise to national prominence, he served as a faculty member at the University of Maiduguri. Upon joining the University of Ilorin, he quickly established himself as a leader in his field, eventually becoming a professor of veterinary medicine and serving as the pioneer dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. From 2012 to 2017, he presided over the University of Ilorin as its 9th Vice-Chancellor, a period during which the institution saw significant academic and infrastructural development.

At the time of his death, Professor Ambali remained deeply committed to public service, serving as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Kwara State University, Malete.

Professor Egbewole described the late academic’s passing as a profound loss not only to the University of Ilorin and Kwara State University but to the nation at large. He extended his condolences to the Ambali family and the people of the Ilorin Emirate. In accordance with Islamic rites, the Janazah prayer for the late scholar was conducted at his Oloje residence on Saturday afternoon.