NIGERIA: Tinubu Sacks UniAbuja, UNN VCs in Federal Universities Shake-up

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, has announced a major change in the leadership of some federal universities in Nigeria, as he dissolves the governing council of Yakubu Gowon University (formerly the University of Abuja) and relieves its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi, of her duties with immediate effect.

The restructuring also affected the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Polycarp Chigbu, was removed before his tenure ended.

According to the presidency, these changes were aimed at strengthening governance and enhancing academic excellence in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

In a statement on Thursday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that Professor Patricia Manko has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University for a six-month term.

However, she will not be eligible to apply for the substantive position when it becomes available.

Senator Lanre Tejuoso, the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has also been reassigned as the Pro-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University.

He will be replaced in Makurdi by Senator Joy Emordi, who previously served as the Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education.

At UNN, Professor Oguejiofu Ujam has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor for six months, succeeding Chigbu. Similarly, Olubunmi Ojo, formerly the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja and the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, has been appointed as the new Pro-Chancellor of UNN.

Other institutions were also affected by the leadership restructuring, with appointments including:

Senator Sani Stores as Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, replacing Senator Joy Emordi.

Professor Zubairu Abdullahi is the new Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja. Olugbenga Kukoyi, a Council Member at UNN, is the new Pro-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

The presidency emphasized that these changes are effective immediately and reflect Tinubu’s commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s higher education sector.

The administration also reiterated its stance to ensure accountability, strengthen governance, and improve academic standards across federal universities.