Tinubu Appoints Ex-UNILAG VC Ogundipe Chairman of NUC Governing Board

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The appointment was announced on Monday in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Professor Ogundipe replaces Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who recently resigned after serving for less than a year in office. President Tinubu had appointed Prof. Aina in July last year, while the NUC board was inaugurated in November 2025.

According to the statement, the appointment takes immediate effect.

Professor Ogundipe, who served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022, is a Professor of Botany with expertise in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.

He holds a PhD 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 statement further noted that the 66-year-old academic 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. He has also served as 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, Professor Ogundipe will oversee the regulatory body of Nigeria’s university system, with focus on funding, stability and global competitiveness.

President Tinubu, according to the statement, expects the new NUC leadership to provide visionary direction that will strengthen the credibility of the university system in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of quality assurance, expanded access and academic integrity.

The Presidency said the appointment forms part of broader efforts to reposition the education sector and strengthen governance in tertiary institutions across the country.