President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The appointment, announced on Monday, June 22, 2026, was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Ogundipe takes over from Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who stepped down less than a year after assuming the role.
According to the Presidency, the appointment is aimed at strengthening oversight of the nation’s university system, with focus on improving funding structures, ensuring academic stability and enhancing global competitiveness.
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It added that the leadership change is also intended to support reforms targeted at improving quality, widening access and safeguarding integrity in higher education.
Professor Ogundipe, a botanist, served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos between 2017 and 2022. He specialises in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
He holds a PhD in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Lagos.
The 66-year-old academic is currently Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London and the Royal Society of Biology.
Ogundipe has also previously led the Botanical Society of Nigeria and served as Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council.