Tinubu appoints former UNILAG VC as NUC chairman

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, as the new Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC). The appointment was announced on Monday, June 22, 2026. Professor Ogundipe succeeds Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the position less than a year after his appointment in July 2025.

In his new role, Professor Ogundipe will oversee Nigeria's primary university regulatory body, with a mandate to focus on funding, enhancing global competitiveness, and ensuring academic stability within the higher education sector. Officials stated he is expected to provide visionary leadership to sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system by advancing quality, access, and integrity in education, aligning with the administration's policy agenda.

Professor Ogundipe, 66, served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022. He is a distinguished professor of Botany with expertise in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, and ecological conservation. He holds a PhD in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and an MBA from the...