President Bola Tinubu has appointed former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, as the new Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The appointment was announced on Monday in a statement issued by the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Ogundipe takes over from Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who stepped down from the position less than a year after his appointment.
According to the presidency, the new chairman will provide oversight for the NUC, the regulatory body responsible for Nigeria’s university system, with a focus on strengthening funding, improving global competitiveness and ensuring academic stability across tertiary institutions.
The statement said the appointment forms part of efforts by the Tinubu administration to advance quality, access and integrity in the education sector.
It added that the President expects Ogundipe to provide visionary leadership capable of sustaining the credibility of Nigeria’s university system in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
A distinguished academic and professor of Botany, Ogundipe served as vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022.
His areas of expertise include molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
He holds a doctorate in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Lagos.
The 66-year-old scholar currently serves as pro-chancellor of Redeemer’s University, located in Ede.
Ogundipe is also a fellow of several professional and scientific bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London and the Royal Society of Biology.
Over the course of his academic career, he has held several leadership positions, including president of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council.
