Welcome Address from the Acting Head of Department
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the official website of the Department of Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
The discipline of Statistics has a longstanding and distinguished history at Obafemi Awolowo University. Its foundations date back to 1962 with the establishment of the Department of Mathematics, within which Statistics developed and flourished as a specialized academic unit. Over the decades, the Statistics unit played a central role in teaching, research, and professional training, contributing significantly to the intellectual and scientific advancement of the University.
Under the Department of Mathematics, the Statistics programme offered a comprehensive range of academic degrees, including the B.Sc. in Statistics at the undergraduate level, and the M.Sc., M.Phil., Master of Actuarial Science (MAS), and Ph.D. degrees in Statistics at the postgraduate level. These programmes have produced generations of statisticians who have distinguished themselves in academia, industry, government, and the private sector.
In 2024, following the approval of the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, the Department of Statistics was formally established as a distinct academic unit. This development did not mark the beginning of Statistics at the University; rather, it represented a natural progression and formal recognition of a discipline that had long been firmly established and academically robust.
As an independent department, we continue to build upon this rich legacy while positioning ourselves at the forefront of contemporary research, innovation, and data-driven development. Our programmes provide rigorous theoretical training, strong computational competence, and practical analytical skills suited to academia, industry, government, and the private sector.
Beyond our degree programmes, the Department serves as a critical academic support unit across the University. We provide foundational Statistics courses to first- and second-year undergraduate students in various Faculties, equipping them with essential quantitative tools and fostering a culture of evidence-based reasoning across disciplines.
The Department currently has an establishment of thirty (30) academic staff positions and four (4) non-academic staff positions. Our faculty members possess expertise across a broad spectrum of statistical theory and application, including distribution theory, sampling, queuing theory, stochastic processes, linear inference, time series, design and analysis of experiments, Bayesian inference, data science, actuarial science, biostatistics, econometrics, meteorology and other interdisciplinary domains. These specializations reflect our strong grounding in the mathematical foundations of statistical science while demonstrating responsiveness to contemporary methodological developments and societal needs. We remain committed to cultivating a vibrant intellectual environment that promotes scholarly excellence, innovation, integrity, and service.
As data increasingly shapes policy, science, technology, and economic development, statistical science remains indispensable. Our vision is to position the Department as a centre of excellence in statistical education and research, both nationally and internationally.
To our students, alumni, collaborators, and visitors, we warmly welcome you. I invite you to explore this website to learn more about our programmes, research activities, staff, and opportunities for engagement.
On behalf of the Department, I thank you for your interest and look forward to your partnership as we continue to advance the frontiers of statistical science.
Dr. Idowu Oluwasayo Ayodeji
Acting Head
Department of Statistics
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
