President Tinubu appoints new Chairman of National University Commission
President Tinubu appoints new Chairman of National University Commission
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Ogundipe takes over from Olufemi Raphael Aina, who stepped down from the position less than a year after his appointment.
“He succeeds Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned his appointment after less than one year in office,” the statement said.
Professor Aina was appointed by President Tinubu in July 2025, while members of the board were formally inaugurated in November of the same year.
Ogundipe, a renowned botanist, served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos between 2017 and 2022. His academic work spans molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
He holds a doctorate degree in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and an MBA from the University of Lagos. He is currently the Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.
The new NUC board chairman is also a fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnean Society of London and the Royal Society of Biology.
He has previously served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council.
The Presidency said Ogundipe would lead the governing board of the NUC with responsibility for strengthening oversight of Nigeria’s university system, particularly in the areas of funding, academic stability and global competitiveness.
President Tinubu urged the former university administrator to “provide visionary leadership at the NUC and sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system, in alignment with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, by advancing quality, access, and integrity in the education sector.”
The appointment places Ogundipe at the helm of the regulatory body responsible for coordinating and maintaining standards across Nigeria’s universities.
