Abel Idowu Olayinka FAS (born 16 February 1958) is a Nigerian professor of applied geophysics. He is a former deputy vice chancellor and former vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan. He is also the president of the West African Research and Innovation Management Association.^[1][2]

In 2012, he was elected as fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, the apex academic organization in Nigeria. He was inducted into the academy, along with Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, the 11th substantive Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Mojeed Olayide Abass, a Nigerian professor of computer science at the University of Lagos and Professor Akinyinka Omigbodun, the president of the West African College of Surgeons and former provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan.^[3]

In September 2015, he was appointed as the 12th substantive vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan to succeed Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, a Nigerian professor of gynecology and obstetrics whose tenure ends on November 30, 2015.^[4] Professor Olayinka completed his tenure as vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan on 30 November 2020 and was succeeded by Professor Adebola Babatunde Ekanola, who took over in acting capacity.^[5] In 2013, while he was serving as deputy vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan, he was searched for the position of vice chancellor of the Osun State University, but he declined the appointment.^[6] In a publication by The Nation Newspaper, Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole described Professor Olayinka as the luckiest among the 13 contestants. He said “anybody who is privileged to be the VC is not the best, the brightest and the most intelligent, such a person is just the luckiest among the best.^[7]

Professor Olayinka was born on February 16, 1958, at Odo-Ijesha, a town in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria. He had his elementary education at Bartholomew's Primary School at Odo-Ijesa and Ilesa Grammar School, where he obtained the WASC in 1975. He received a bachelor's degree in Geology from the University of Ibadan.^[8]

Following the completion of the compulsory one year Youth Service at the Hydrogeology and Hydrology Department of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Port Harcourt in 1982, he worked briefly at Deptol Consultants as geologist before he proceeded to the University of London. There he received a master's degree in geophysics in 1984, the same year he received a Membership Diploma of Imperial College in July 1984 before he bagged a scholarship award that earned him a doctoral degree in applied geophysics from the University of Birmingham.^[9][10]

In April 1997, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at Technical University, Braunschweig and in July 1997, he was Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at Technical University of Berlin.^[11] Since his appointment as professor, he had supervised hundreds of undergraduate students, 66 master's degree students and 9 doctoral degree students. He had published over 50 scholarly articles in reputable academic journals as well as books and monograph.^[12]

• Oladunjoye, M. A., Olayinka, A. I., Alaba, M., & Adabanija, M. A. (2016). Interpretation of high resolution aeromagnetic data for lineaments study and occurrence of Banded Iron Formation in Ogbomoso area, Southwestern Nigeria.^[22]
• Osinowo, O. O., & Olayinka, A. I. (2013). Aeromagnetic mapping of basement topography around the Ijebu-Ode geological transition zone, Southwestern Nigeria.^[23]
• Olayinka, A., & Osinowo, O. (2009, March). Integrated Geophysical and Satellite Imagery Mapping for Groundwater Assement ina a Geological Transition Zone in Southwestern Nigeria. ^[24]
• Osinowo, O. O., Alumona, K., & Olayinka, A. I. (2020). Analyses of high resolution aeromagnetic data for structural and porphyry mineral deposit mapping of the Nigerian younger granite ring complexes, North-Central Nigeria.^[25]
• Osinowo, O. O., Fashola, O. E., Ayolabi, E., & Olayinka, A. I. (2019). Structural Mapping and Gold Mineralization Potential Evaluation from Airborne Time-Domain Electromagnetic (tdem) Data of Ilesha Schist Belt, Southwestern Nigeria.
• Okpoli, C. C., & Ola, A. I. (2017). Estimation and characterization production using Dar-Zarrouk crystalline basement terrain.
• Osinowo, O. O., Oladunjoye, M. A., & Olayinka, A. I. (2015). Overpressure Prediction from Seismic Data and Implications on Drilling Safety in the Niger Delta, Southern Nigeria. Petroleum Technology Development Journal, 5, 13-26.

• List of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities