In a sweeping leadership overhaul, President Bola Tinubu has dissolved the governing council of Yakubu Gowon University (formerly the University of Abuja) and dismissed its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi, with immediate effect.
The move, announced on Thursday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, signals a broader shake-up in Nigeria’s federal university system.
Alongside Maikudi’s removal, the President has appointed Professor Patricia Manko as Acting Vice-Chancellor for a six-month tenure. However, Manko will not be eligible to apply for the substantive VC role when it becomes available.
This restructuring is not limited to Yakubu Gowon University. Tinubu has also dismissed Professor Polycarp Chigbu as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), even before his tenure’s scheduled end on February 14.
His replacement, Professor Oguejiofu Ujam, will also serve for six months and will not be considered for a permanent appointment.
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The ripple effects of these changes extend beyond vice-chancellors. Senator Lanre Tejuoso, formerly Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, is now the Pro-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University.
His previous position will be filled by Senator Joy Emordi, who previously held the same role at Alvan Ikoku University of Education.
Meanwhile, Olubunmi Ojo, formerly Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja and the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, has been reassigned to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Other notable reassignments include:
- General Ike Nwachukwu moves as Pro-Chancellor of UNN to the University of Uyo.
- Professor Zubairu Abdullahi takes over as Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja.
- Senator Sani Stores replaces Joy Emordi as Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education.
- Olugbenga Kukoyi, a council member at UNN, now serves as the new Pro-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
According to the presidency, these appointments and reassignments take immediate effect.
Tinubu’s administration has positioned these changes as part of a broader effort to reform Nigeria’s higher education system. Onanuga emphasized that the President is focused on revitalizing university governance and promoting academic excellence.
“This restructuring aims to strengthen governance and accountability within Nigeria’s tertiary education sector,” Onanuga said.