By Ayo Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has appointed former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the regulatory body overseeing Nigeria’s university system.
The appointment, announced on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, follows the resignation of Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who stepped down less than a year after assuming office.
Professor Aina was appointed by President Tinubu in July 2025, while members of the NUC Governing Board were inaugurated in November of the same year.
According to the Presidency, Professor Ogundipe will lead the commission’s governing board with a mandate to strengthen funding mechanisms, enhance global competitiveness and promote academic stability across Nigerian universities.
The statement noted that the appointment is part of the administration’s broader efforts to advance quality, access and integrity in the education sector in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“President Tinubu expects Professor Ogundipe to provide visionary leadership at the National Universities Commission 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”, the statement read.
A distinguished academic and renowned botanist, Ogundipe served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022. His academic expertise spans molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos.
Currently serving as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, the 66-year-old scholar is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading academics and university administrators.
Professor Ogundipe is a fellow of several prestigious 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).
As Chairman of the NUC Governing Board, Ogundipe is expected to work closely with the commission’s management and stakeholders to deepen reforms to improve the quality and global standing of Nigerian universities while ensuring stability within the tertiary education system.
