President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe as the new chairman of the governing board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He replaces Emeritus Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the role after serving for less than a year.
Aina was appointed in July last year, while the board members were inaugurated in November 2025.
Ogundipe previously served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos between 2017 and 2022.
He is a professor of Botany with experience in areas such as plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany, and environmental conservation.
He earned his PhD from Obafemi Awolowo University and also holds an MBA from the University of Lagos.
He is currently the Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University in Ede, Osun State.
Over the years, he has been involved in academic and scientific bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London, and the Royal Society of Biology in London.
He has also led the Botanical Society of Nigeria and chaired the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council.
As chairman of the NUC governing board, Ogundipe will be responsible for guiding the commission that regulates universities in Nigeria.
His duties will include working on issues around funding, academic standards, and improving the performance of the university system.
The appointment is in line with the federal government’s plan to improve education under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
