Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has approved the appointment of business mogul and founder of BOVAS Oil and Gas, Mrs Victoria Adunola Samson, as the new Chancellor of Osun State University.

The appointment followed the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past Chancellor, Folorunso Alakija, whose 10-year tenure ended on March 18, 2026.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the spokesperson to the Osun State Government, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor commended Alakija’s contributions to the institution, particularly the donation of the multi-billion naira Modupe and Folorunso Alakija Medical Research and Training Hospital to the university.

Adeleke described her impact on the institution as a lasting legacy, noting that the state government recently paid a thank-you visit to the former Chancellor in appreciation of her support for the university and Osun State.

The newly appointed Chancellor, popularly known as “Mama BOVAS,” is an indigene of Iree in Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State.

Born on December 5, 1949, Mrs Samson is widely recognised in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector for building BOVAS Oil and Gas from a single filling station into a network of over 200 stations across the country, employing more than 2,000 Nigerians as of December 2025.

Under her leadership, the company also secured the Texaco Petroleum franchise, while she became the first Nigerian to win the prestigious Texaco Latin America and West Africa Award for Best Overall Dealer in 1990, recording the highest sales in the region.

She has also served in several leadership roles within the petroleum sector, including as Matron of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, NNPC/PPMC Satellite Depot, Ejigbo, Lagos, and Apata Depot in Ibadan.

Mrs Samson is equally a member of the Board of Trustees of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketing Association.

Academically, she holds a Professional Diploma in Marketing and attended the Leadership for Family Business programme at Harvard University Business School in 2013, in addition to participating in the Chief Executive Programme at IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.

Speaking on the appointment, Adeleke praised Mrs Samson’s integrity and patriotism in business, describing her as a symbol of honesty, decency and humanity.

“We recognise with appreciation your distinct effort to make life easier for consumers of petroleum products. We celebrate you as a symbol of integrity and accountability in society,” the governor said.

He congratulated the businesswoman on behalf of the government and people of Osun State on her appointment as the third Chancellor of the university.