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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the appointment of Mrs. Victoria Adunola Samson, popularly known as BOVAS, as the new Chancellor of Osun State University, UNIOSUN.
The appointment of Mrs. Samson as the third Chancellor of UNIOSUN was announced in a statement by Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, on Sunday in Osogbo.
Her appointment follows the completion of the tenure of the immediate past chancellor, Folorunso Alakija, whose service ended on March 18, 2026, after a decade in office.
The Osun State Government had earlier paid a courtesy visit to Alakija on May 8, 2026, expressing appreciation to her and her family for their contributions to the university’s development.
During the visit, Governor Adeleke commended the former chancellor’s impact, describing her tenure as a period marked by notable achievements and an enduring legacy.
He particularly highlighted the donation of the Modupe and Folorunso Alakija Medical Research and Training Hospital, describing it as a multi-billion-naira intervention that strengthened the institution’s infrastructure.
According to the statement: “Mrs. Samson, widely known as Mama BOVAS, is the founder of BOVAS Oil and Gas, a leading indigenous oil and gas firm.
“An indigene of Iree in Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State, she was born on December 5, 1949.
“Under her leadership alongside her husband, the company expanded from a single petroleum products service station to over 200 outlets nationwide, employing more than 2,000 Nigerians as of December 31, 2025.
“Mrs. Samson also owns the Texaco Petroleum franchise and became the first Nigerian to win the Texaco Latin America and West Africa Award for Best Overall Dealer in 1990.
“She reportedly recorded the highest sales performance across both West Africa and Latin America during the period.
“Her professional career includes service as Matron of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria at the NNPC/PPMC Satellite Depot in Ejigbo, Lagos, and Apata Depot in Ibadan, as well as membership of the Board of Trustees of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketing Association.
“She holds a Professional Diploma in Marketing and attended leadership programmes at Harvard Business School and IESE Business School in Barcelona.”
Remarking through the statement, Governor Adeleke said, “We recognise with appreciation your distinct effort to make life easy for consumers of petroleum products. We celebrate you as a symbol of decency, honesty, integrity, and humanity in our society.”
The governor also congratulated Mrs. Samson on behalf of the government and people of Osun State and urged her to bring her experience and leadership to bear in her new role at the university.
