Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has appointed the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, a professor of Botany, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The appointment, announced on Monday in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, follows the resignation of former chairman, Olufemi Aina, an emeritus professor of Business and Technical Education.

Mr Aina was appointed chairman of the NUC Board in July 2025, and board members were inaugurated in November of the same year. The statement did not disclose the reason for his resignation, which occurred less than a year into his tenure.

About Professor Ogundipe

Mr Ogundipe was born on 31 May 1960. He studied Botany at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), where he obtained his first degree, master’s degree and doctorate. He also holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Lagos.

The Professor of Botany possesses extensive expertise in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany, and ecological conservation. He has published more than 90 scholarly articles in accredited academic journals.

He began his academic career at UNILAG as a lecturer and rose to the rank of professor of Botany in 2002. He served as Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies from August 2007 to July 2011, and as Director of the Academic Planning Unit from April 2012 to April 2016. He was Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics and Research before his appointment as the institution’s 12th vice chancellor on 27 October 2017.

He assumed office on 11 November 2017, succeeding Rahamon Bello, a professor of Chemical Engineering, and served until November 2022, when Folasade Ogunsola, a professor of Medical Microbiology took over as the 13th and first female vice chancellor.

His tenure at UNILAG was not without disruption. In August 2020, the university’s Governing Council led by Wale Babalakin removed him as vice chancellor, accusing him of financial impropriety and gross misconduct.

He was reinstated three months later, in November 2020, after the then President, Muhammadu Buhari approved the findings of a special visitation panel chaired by Tukur Sa’ad, which concluded that his removal had not followed due process and that Mr Ogundipe was not granted an opportunity to defend himself on the allegations upon which his removal was based. The Council that removed him was dissolved by the president.

Mr Ogundipe currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State. 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).

What NUC does

The NUC is the federal agency responsible for regulating university education in Nigeria. It was established in 1962 as an advisory agency in the Cabinet Office and became a statutory body in 1974, when Jibril Aminu, a professor of cardiology was appointed its first Executive Secretary. It operates as a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Education.

The commission’s functions include granting approval for the establishment of new universities, accrediting academic programmes, setting and enforcing minimum academic standards, and advising the Federal Government on the financial needs of universities, including funding for university research.

It also coordinates periodic master plans for the balanced development of the university system and serves as the channel for external grants and aid to Nigerian universities.

President Tinubu’s expectations

According to the Presidency, the new NUC chairman will oversee the regulatory body for Nigeria’s university system, with responsibilities that include promoting adequate funding, enhancing academic stability and improving the global competitiveness of Nigerian universities.

President Tinubu expressed confidence in Mr Ogundipe’s capacity to provide visionary leadership at the commission and sustain the credibility of the nation’s university system.

Mr Tinubu said he expects the new NUC chair to provide visionary leadership at the NUC and sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system, in alignment with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, by advancing quality, access, and integrity in the education sector