President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe as the new Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The appointment was announced on Monday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Professor Ogundipe takes over from Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the position less than a year after his appointment. President Tinubu appointed Aina in July 2025, while members of the board were inaugurated in November 2025.
Ogundipe served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022. He is a Professor of Botany with expertise in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany and ecological conservation.
He holds a PhD in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and an MBA from the University of Lagos.
The 66-year-old academic currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University in Ede, Osun State.
He is a fellow of several 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 will oversee the commission responsible for regulating Nigeria’s university system, with a focus on funding, academic stability and improving global competitiveness.
President Tinubu expects him to provide strong leadership for the commission and help maintain the credibility of the Nigerian university system in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda by promoting quality, access and integrity in the education sector.
