President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission, NUC.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Ogundipe succeeds Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the position less than a year after his appointment.
“Professor Ogundipe succeeds Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned his appointment after less than one year in office,” the statement said.
The Presidency stated that the former UNILAG Vice-Chancellor would oversee the regulatory body of the Nigerian university system, with a focus on funding, academic stability and enhancing global competitiveness.
It added that the appointment was part of efforts to advance quality, access and integrity in Nigeria’s education sector.
“President Tinubu expects Professor Ogundipe to provide visionary leadership at the National Universities Commission and sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the statement added.
Ogundipe, a Professor of Botany, served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022.
He is an expert in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
The academic holds a PhD in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master of Business Administration, MBA, from the University of Lagos.
Currently serving as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Ogundipe is a fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London and the Royal Society of Biology.
He has also served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council.
