President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The appointment, announced on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, takes immediate effect.
Prof. Ogundipe succeeds Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the position after serving for less than a year. Aina had been appointed by President Tinubu in July 2025, while the NUC Governing Board was inaugurated in November 2025.
A renowned professor of Botany, Ogundipe served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022. His academic career spans decades, with expertise in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation. He also holds an MBA from UNILAG and currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.
According to the Presidency, the new NUC chairman is expected to provide strategic leadership for Nigeria’s university regulatory agency, with emphasis on improving funding, strengthening academic standards, enhancing global competitiveness and promoting stability across the nation’s tertiary education system.
The appointment is in line with the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope agenda, which seeks to expand access to quality higher education while reinforcing integrity and excellence within Nigeria’s university system.