President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has initiated a major leadership overhaul across Nigeria’s federal universities. In a decisive move, the president has dismissed Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja—now renamed Yakubu Gowon University—and dissolved the entire governing council.
Under the new arrangement, President Tinubu has appointed Professor Lar Patricia Manko as Acting Vice-Chancellor for a six-month term, though she will not be eligible to apply for the substantive position when it becomes available. This leadership change at Yakubu Gowon University is part of a broader reform agenda aimed at strengthening governance and boosting academic excellence in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
A press release by Bayo Onanuga the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy detailed changes at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbu has been removed from his role as Acting Vice-Chancellor ahead of his scheduled tenure ending on February 14. Professor Oguejiofu T. Ujam has been named his successor on an interim six-month basis, also with no eligibility for a permanent appointment.
Reassignments extend to university pro-chancellors as well. Senator Lanre Tejuoso, formerly Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has been appointed Pro-Chancellor at Yakubu Gowon University. In Makurdi, Senator Joy Emordi, previously Pro-Chancellor at Alvan Ikoku University of Education, will take over. At UNN, Engineer Olubunmi Kayode Ojo now assumes the role of Pro-Chancellor, while Gen. Ike Nwachukwu has been reassigned to the University of Uyo. Additional appointments include Professor Zubairu Tajo Abdullahi as the new Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Senator Sani Stores as the Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, and Barrister Olugbenga Kukoyi as the Pro-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka.
The Special Adviser emphasized that these leadership changes are effective immediately and are intended to revitalize Nigeria’s higher education system through dynamic leadership and stringent accountability measures. The press release stated, “These changes reflect President Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring our universities are led by visionary leaders capable of driving meaningful reforms.”
With this comprehensive shakeup, stakeholders in the education sector across Nigeria are now closely watching how these new appointments and reassignments will shape the future of federal universities and elevate academic standards nationwide.
