By Rosemary Ogbonna
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, former Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Ogundipe succeeds Olufemi Aina, who was appointed to the position in July 2025 but resigned less than a year later.
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 is expected to provide leadership for the nation’s university regulatory agency, with emphasis on strengthening funding, enhancing global competitiveness and ensuring academic stability across the higher education sector.
“The appointment is aimed at advancing quality, access, and integrity in the education sector,” the statement said.
It added that Tinubu expects the former UNILAG Vice-Chancellor to offer visionary leadership and sustain the credibility of Nigeria’s university system in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Ogundipe served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022. A professor of Botany, he specialises in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
He holds a doctorate degree in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Lagos.
The 66-year-old academic currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University. He is a fellow of several professional bodies, including: the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnean Society of London, and the Royal Society of Biology.
Ogundipe has also served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council.