Ayodeji Olukoju, currently on leave as Vice-Chancellor, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, joined the Department in September 1987, was appointed Professor on October 1, 1998, and served as Head, Department of History (2001-2004) and Dean of Arts, University of Lagos (2005 – 2009).  He has held the Japan Foundation, British Academy, DAAD, IDE (Japan), Leventis and Chapman post-doctoral research fellowships, and the WARA Travel Grant/Residency.  He is co-editor of four books and author of Maritime Trade, Port Development and A:  The Japanese Experience and Lessons for Nigeria (Tokyo, 1996), Infrastructure Development and Urban Facilities in Lagos 1861-2000 (Ibadan, 2003), The Liverpool of West Africa: The Dynamics and Impact of Maritime Trade in Lagos 1900-1950 (Trenton, NJ, 2004), Culture and Customs of Liberia  (Westport, CT & London, 2006), The Fourteenth Commissar of Works: The Life and Labour of Rauf Aregbesola (Lagos & Winnipeg, 2007), three monographs, 50 book chapters and 41 articles in journals of maritime, economic, social, transport, imperial, global and African history, Professor Olukoju, the University of Lagos Best Researcher in the Arts/Humanities for 2006 and 2009, is the first-ever African member of the Executive Committee of the International Maritime Economic History Association (IMEHA).  He has served on the editorial boards of African Economic History and Afrika Zamani: Journal of the Association of African Historians, and is currently on the boards of History in Africa: A Journal of Method and Journal of African History, Olukoju, the Convener of the Network of Nigerian Historians, has been external examiner and professorial assessor at several Nigerian and Ghanaian university