President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced significant leadership changes at several federal universities across the country.
These changes are effective immediately and are aimed at strengthening governance and enhancing academic excellence.
One of the most notable changes is the renaming of the University of Abuja to Yakubu Gowon University. As part of this transition, President Tinubu dissolved the entire governing council of the institution and relieved Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi of her duties as Vice-Chancellor.
In her place, Professor Lar Patricia Manko has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor for a six-month term. However, she will not be eligible to apply for the substantive Vice-Chancellor position once the search for a permanent candidate begins.
Senator Lanre Tejuoso, who was previously Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has been appointed as the new Pro-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University. In a reshuffle at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Senator Joy Emordi, formerly the Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, has been appointed to take Tejuoso’s place.
In another major leadership change, President Tinubu removed Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbu from his position as Acting Vice-Chancellor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), ahead of the completion of his tenure on February 14. Professor Oguejiofu T. Ujam has been appointed as his successor for a six-month term. Like Manko, Ujam will also not be eligible to apply for the permanent Vice-Chancellor role when it becomes available.
The leadership shake-up at UNN extends to the Pro-Chancellor role as well. General Ike Nwachukwu has been reassigned to Pro-Chancellor at the University of Uyo, while Engineer Olubunmi Kayode Ojo, formerly Pro-Chancellor at the Federal University of Lokoja and the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, has been appointed as the new Pro-Chancellor of UNN.
Professor Zubairu Tajo Abdullahi, who currently serves as Pro-Chancellor at the University of Uyo, has been moved to the Federal University of Lokoja to take Ojo’s previous position.
Furthermore, Senator Sani Stores has been named the new Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, succeeding Senator Joy Emordi, while Barrister Olugbenga Kukoyi, a current Council Member at UNN, has been appointed the Pro-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State.
All these changes are effective immediately.
In a statement, President Tinubu emphasized that these leadership reshuffles reflect his administration’s commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s higher education system. “These changes are essential to bringing dynamic leadership and accountability into the sector, with a focus on strengthening governance and fostering academic excellence,” he said.
The president’s restructuring efforts are designed to ensure that Nigeria’s tertiary education system remains robust, responsive, and aligned with the evolving needs of the nation.
