President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission.

Ogundipe succeeds Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned from the position less than a year after his appointment. Aina was appointed by President Tinubu in July 2025, while members of the board were inaugurated in November 2025.

A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022, Ogundipe is a Professor of Botany with expertise in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany, and ecological conservation.

He earned a PhD in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and also holds an MBA from the University of Lagos.

Currently serving as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, the 66-year-old academic is a fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London, and the Royal Society of Biology.

Ogundipe has also served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council.

As chairman of the NUC governing board, he will oversee the regulatory body responsible for Nigeria’s university system, with a focus on funding, academic standards, institutional stability, and global competitiveness.

According to the Presidency, President Tinubu expects Ogundipe to provide visionary leadership at the commission and strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s university system in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda by promoting quality, access, and integrity in higher education.