President Bola Tinubu has appointed Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Ogundipe takes over from Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned less than a year after his appointment. Aina was named chairman in July 2025, while the board was inaugurated in November of the same year.
A former Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos from 2017 to 2022, Ogundipe is a Professor of Botany with expertise spanning 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. He currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer's University.
Ogundipe is a Fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London, and the Royal Society of Biology. He has also served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC).
As chairman of the NUC Governing Board, Ogundipe is expected to provide strategic oversight for Nigeria's university system, with a focus on funding, academic excellence, global competitiveness, and institutional stability.
According to the Presidency, the appointment aligns with the administration's Renewed Hope Agenda and is aimed at strengthening quality, access, and integrity across the higher education sector.