President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Ogundipe succeeds Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the position less than a year after his appointment. Professor Aina was appointed by President Tinubu in July 2025, while members of the NUC Governing Board were inaugurated in November 2025.
A renowned academic and professor of Botany, Ogundipe served as Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG from 2017 to 2022. His areas of expertise include molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany, and ecological conservation.
The 66-year-old scholar holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Lagos.
He currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, and is a fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London, and the Royal Society of Biology, London.
Ogundipe has also held key leadership positions in the academic community, including President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC).
As Chairman of the NUC Governing Board, he is expected to oversee the activities of the commission, Nigeria’s university regulatory agency, with a focus on strengthening funding, enhancing global competitiveness, and promoting academic stability across the nation’s higher education system.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed confidence in Ogundipe’s ability to provide visionary leadership and sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system.
The President also charged the new NUC chairman to advance quality, access, and integrity in the education sector in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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