Yemi Obafemi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The appointment was announced in a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Ogundipe succeeds Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned his appointment less than a year after assuming office.
According to the statement, President Tinubu expects the former UNILAG Vice-Chancellor to “provide visionary leadership at the NUC and sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system” in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Professor Ogundipe served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022 and is currently the Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.
A professor of Botany, Ogundipe has 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.
The statement noted that as NUC Chairman, Ogundipe will oversee the regulatory body of the Nigerian university system with a focus on funding, global competitiveness and academic stability.
He 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).
President Tinubu said the appointment is aimed at advancing quality, access and integrity in the education sector while strengthening the nation’s university system.
