President Bola Tinubu has appointed former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Monday by presidential spokesman, 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.
Aina was appointed chairman of the NUC Governing Board by President Tinubu in July 2025, while members of the board were formally inaugurated in November 2025.
Professor Ogundipe, a renowned botanist and academic administrator, served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022.
He currently serves as the Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.
The 66-year-old academic holds a doctorate degree in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Lagos.
His areas of specialisation include molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
Over the course of his academic career, Ogundipe has earned recognition as a fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnean Society of London and the Royal Society of Biology.
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He has also served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council.
As chairman of the NUC Governing Board, Ogundipe is expected to provide strategic leadership for the regulation and development of Nigeria’s university system, with a focus on improving funding, academic stability, quality assurance and global competitiveness.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that the former UNILAG vice-chancellor possesses the experience and expertise required to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s higher education system and advance reforms aimed at improving access, quality and institutional integrity across the nation’s universities.
The appointment comes at a time when stakeholders in the education sector are calling for sustained reforms to address challenges relating to funding, infrastructure, research development and international competitiveness within Nigerian universities.
