Professor Ademola S. Tayo has been installed as the fourth Vice-Chancellor of the Adventist University of Africa (AUA) at a ceremony on the university's campus in Nairobi, Kenya, on 28 June 2026.

The installation was officiated by AUA Chancellor Dr. Harrington S. Akombwa, President of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, and Dr. Robert Osei-Bonsu, Chair of the University Council and General Vice President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Dr. Ken Nyaundi administered the oath of office, and Dr. Paulus Dingindawo Shongwe, President of the Southern Africa Union Conference, offered the dedicatory prayer.

Delivering the installation charge, Akombwa challenged Tayo to provide visionary leadership rooted in biblical values while advancing the University's mission of preparing servant leaders for Africa and the world.

"I now entrust to your care the Universities Act and these instruments of authority as the Vice-Chancellor of the Adventist University of Africa," Akombwa said. "Safeguard and uphold them faithfully, preserving the values, the mission, and the integrity they represent, and exercise the authority vested in you for the advancement and benefit of this institution and all its stakeholders."

Accepting the charge, Tayo introduced "MISSION" as the guiding framework of his administration.

"MISSION is more than an acronym," he said. "It is a philosophy of leadership, a framework for institutional transformation, a call to purposeful service, and a reminder that everything we do must advance the mission of Christ through education."

He explained the framework as: Mentor to Inspire, Serve to Strengthen, Innovate for Outreach, Nurture for Eternity.

Tayo outlined several priorities for his tenure, including strengthening the University's mission focus, expanding innovation in teaching and research, and intentionally nurturing women in ministry, academia, and leadership. The Church and society, he said, benefit immensely from the unique gifts, perspectives, and leadership that women bring.

Dr. Robert Osei-Bonsu pledged the support of the General Conference to the new Vice-Chancellor.

"On behalf of the University Council, I extend my warmest congratulations to Professor Tayo, our newly installed Vice-Chancellor," Osei-Bonsu said. "Your inspiring acceptance speech has reminded us that leadership at its best is a sacred stewardship, one that unites scholarship with service and vision with humility. We pledge our full support as you advance the mission of this University to nurture leaders who are rooted in Christ and empowered for service."

The keynote address was delivered by Professor Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, Principal Secretary in Kenya's State Department for Higher Education and Research at the Ministry of Education. She noted that the day carried an unusual convergence of milestones.

"We gather to celebrate two milestones that rarely converge in one sacred assembly," Inyangala said. "The installation of the fourth Vice-Chancellor of the Adventist University of Africa and the graduation of this awesome class of 2026. One ceremony welcomes new leadership. The other commissions a new generation. One passes the mantle. The other sends forth ambassadors."

Tayo succeeds Professor Vincent Injety as AUA's Vice-Chancellor. A Nigerian scholar, ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister, and Professor of Development Education, Tayo previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University in Nigeria from 2015, following earlier appointments as Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies and Head of the Department of Education and General Studies at the same institution. His international academic service has included visiting appointments at the University of Eastern Africa Baraton in Kenya and as Acting Rector of the Adventist University of Cosendai in Cameroon.

Tayo holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Development Education from Central Luzon State University in the Philippines, a Master's degree in New Testament Studies from the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan. He is married to Professor Oluwatoyin Tayo, and the couple have two adult daughters.

The Adventist University of Africa was approved by the General Conference in 2003, began operations in 2008, and was granted a full Kenyan charter in 2013. Since its inception, the University has graduated 1,192 students who now serve the Church and society across Africa and beyond.