President Bola Tinubu has appointed former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, 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 was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Ogundipe succeeds Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the position less than a year after his appointment. 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 statement.
A renowned academic and botanist, Ogundipe served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022.
His areas of expertise include molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
The 66-year-old scholar holds a doctorate degree in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and an MBA from the University of Lagos. He currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University.
Ogundipe is also a fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London and the Royal Society of Biology.
He previously served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council.
According to Onanuga, the new NUC chairman is expected to provide strategic leadership for the commission as it pursues reforms aimed at strengthening university funding, enhancing global competitiveness and promoting academic stability across the sector.
“President Tinubu expects Ogundipe 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,” the statement said.
As chairman of the commission’s governing board, Ogundipe will play a key role in shaping policies and oversight mechanisms designed to improve the performance and international standing of Nigerian universities.
