President Bola Ahmed 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), Nigeria’s regulatory agency for university education.
The appointment was announced in a statement dated June 22, 2026, and signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Professor Ogundipe succeeds Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the position less than a year after his appointment. 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.
An academic and administrator, 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.
Currently serving as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, the 66-year-old scholar 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, London.
According to the statement, “As NUC Chairman, Professor Ogundipe will oversee the regulatory body of the Nigerian university system, focusing on funding, global competitiveness and academic stability.”
Onanuga in the release further stated that President Tinubu expects the former UNILAG Vice-Chancellor to provide “visionary leadership at the NUC and sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system” in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement added that the President expects Ogundipe to advance “quality, access, and integrity in the education sector” while strengthening the capacity of Nigerian universities to compete favourably on the global stage.
Beyond academia, Ogundipe has held several notable leadership positions. He has served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria, and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC), among other professional engagements.
