Abel Idowu Olayinka FAS (born 16 February 1958) is a Nigerian professor of applied geophysics.

[4] 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.

[6] In a publication by The Nation Newspaper, Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole described Olayinka as the luckiest among the 13 contestants.

[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.

In August 2002, he was appointed Dean of the postgraduate school, a position he held till July 2006, the same year he was reappointed as head of the department of Geology.

[15] In 1994, he was appointed as member of the editorial board, Nigerian Journal of Science, a position he served for 6 years.

In 2008, he was appointed as editor-in-chief of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), an editorial position he held till 2010.