The University of Ibadan has appointed Prof Ibrahim Uthman as its new Chief Imam following the retirement of Prof Mufutau Oloyede Abdurrahman.
Uthman, a Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies and current Head of the Department, was approved by the Board of Governors of the UI Muslim Community at its meeting held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
According to a statement by the community’s Publicity Secretary, Dr Idris Badiru, the appointment followed a thorough selection process by the Shuurah Committee based on 12 criteria, including scholarship, integrity, humility, eloquence, and spirituality.
Uthman succeeds Abdurrahman, who retires from the university this October after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.
A distinguished scholar, Uthman holds a PhD in Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion from the International Islamic University, Malaysia. His research interests include Islamic studies, modernism and feminism.
He has taught at the International Islamic University Malaysia and Crescent University, Abeokuta, and previously served as Student Imam and MSSN President during his undergraduate years at UI.
