There's a new face at the top of Nigeria's National Mathematical Centre (NMC) in Abuja. The centre's Governing Council has confirmed Professor Benjamin Oyelami as its eighth Director/Chief Executive, capping off a formal assessment and interview process.
The news came via a statement from Dr Onyekachi Njoku, NMC's Controller of Information and Public Relations, who didn't hold back on the new director's credentials.
A Long Road Through Academia
Oyelami's path into mathematics started at the University of Jos, where he bagged a Bachelor's degree in 1988 with a Second Class Upper. From there, he moved to the University of Ibadan for his master's in 1991, then on to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi, where he completed a PhD in 1999.
That PhD wasn't just another degree, Njoku says it was the first-ever doctoral thesis on Impulsive Systems produced anywhere in Africa. Oyelami also has a hand in developing the B-Transform Method, a contribution that's followed him through his career.
Decades at ATBU and NMC
Oyelami's professional life has largely been split between ATBU and NMC. He joined ATBU in 1991 and worked his way up the ranks before taking a sabbatical at NMC in 2002, eventually joining the centre full-time in 2004.
Along the way, he's worn a lot of hats, Coordinator of the Mathematics Programme, Coordinator of the Theoretical Physics Programme, Coordinator of Academic Planning, and Deputy Director/Chief Executive of NMC, to name a few. He's also held posts at Plateau State University, Bokkos, serving as Head of the Department of Mathematics and later Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences.
He'd actually already been running the show in an acting capacity since February, so this appointment makes it official.
Why This Appointment Stands Out
What sets Oyelami apart isn't just the paperwork, it's the track record. He's published widely in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks, spoken at international conferences, and led Nigerian teams at international Mathematical Olympiads.
He's also racked up an impressive list of professional affiliations: the American Mathematical Society, the Nigerian Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Sciences Association of Nigeria, and the African Scientific Institute in Oakland, California. On top of that, he's a Certified Management Consultant and a member of the Institute of Management Consultants, Nigeria.
For a centre tasked with shaping the future of mathematics education and research in Nigeria, that's a fairly deep bench of experience to bring to the job.
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