Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has welcomed Mrs Victoria Adunola Samson, popularly known as Mama BOVAS, as its new Chancellor following her appointment by Governor Ademola Adeleke.Here are 10 key things to know about her:
1. Oil and Gas Entrepreneur: She is the founder of BOVAS Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, one of Nigeria’s most prominent indigenous petroleum companies.
2. Popular Identity: She is widely known in Nigeria’s business circle as “Mama BOVAS,” a name derived from her petroleum brand.
3. Osun Indigene: She hails from Iree in Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State.
4. Early Life: Mrs Samson was born on December 5, 1949.
5. Academic Background: She holds a Professional Diploma in Marketing and a business-related certificate from Harvard University, obtained in 2013.
6. Business Expansion Story: What started as a single filling station under her leadership and that of her husband has grown into a nationwide network of over 200 petrol stations.
7. Job Creation Impact: The BOVAS Group currently provides employment to over 2,000 Nigerians as at December 31, 2025.
8. International Recognition: She made history in 1990 as the first Nigerian to win the Texaco Latin America and West Africa Award for Best Overall Dealer.
9. Record PerformanceAt her peak in the Texaco franchise, she reportedly recorded the highest petroleum sales across West Africa and Latin America combined.
10. Industry Leadership RolesShe has served in various leadership capacities in the oil and gas sector, including as Matron of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and as a Board of Trustees member of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association. She is also an alumna of the Chief Executive Programme at IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.
Mrs Samson’s appointment has been widely described as a recognition of excellence, discipline, and long-standing contribution to business and humanitarian development in Nigeria.
