President Bola Tinubu has made significant leadership changes in Nigeria’s higher education sector, sacking key university leaders and reassigning other high-ranking officials. The changes, which were announced on Thursday, February 6, 2025, include the removal of the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University (YGU), Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, and the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Professor Polycarp Chigbu, among other appointments and reassignments.
A statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, detailed the restructuring, which is part of Tinubu’s efforts to improve governance and academic excellence within Nigeria’s tertiary education system. “At Yakubu Gowon University, President Tinubu dissolved the entire governing council and relieved Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi of her duties as Vice-Chancellor,” the statement read. This decision follows a broader reshuffling aimed at strengthening leadership in key academic institutions.
In addition to Maikudi’s removal, President Tinubu also sacked Professor Polycarp Chigbu, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of UNN, even though his tenure was set to end on February 14, 2025. In Chigbu’s place, Tinubu appointed Professor Oguejiofu Ujam as Acting Vice-Chancellor for a six-month term, with Ujam being ineligible for the permanent position. “Prof. Oguejiofu Ujam will serve as Acting Vice Chancellor for six months and will not be eligible to apply for the permanent position,” the statement clarified.
The shake-up extended to the roles of Pro-Chancellor at several universities. Senator Lanre Tejuoso, the current Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has been appointed as the new Pro-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, replacing the dissolved governing council. Senator Joy Emordi, who previously held the Pro-Chancellor position at Alvan Ikoku University of Education, will now take over Tejuoso’s role at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi.
In other appointments, President Tinubu named Professor Lar Patricia Manko as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University for a six-month term. Manko, like Ujam, will not be eligible to apply for the permanent Vice-Chancellor position once the term ends. The changes at Yakubu Gowon University signal a shift in the leadership structure, with a focus on new governance and academic leadership.
Further leadership changes were made at UNN, where General Ike Nwachukwu was reassigned from his role as Pro-Chancellor at the university to a new position at the University of Uyo. Engineer Olubunmi Kayode Ojo has been appointed as the new Pro-Chancellor of UNN. Ojo, who previously served as Pro-Chancellor at the Federal University of Lokoja and the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, will now lead one of Nigeria’s most prominent universities.
Professor Zubairu Tajo Abdullahi, currently serving as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, has been appointed to replace Ojo at the Federal University of Lokoja. These reassignments reflect President Tinubu’s desire to bring in fresh leadership to drive institutional reforms.
Senator Sani Stores has also been appointed the new Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, succeeding Senator Joy Emordi. Senator Stores, who is a Council Member at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, will now take on the role at the university, which is also undergoing leadership changes.
Barrister Olugbenga Kukoyi, a Council Member at UNN, has been appointed the new Pro-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, replacing the outgoing leadership. Kukoyi’s appointment adds another layer of change in the restructuring of Nigeria’s university system.
All of these appointments and reassignments were effective immediately, as President Tinubu aims to implement new strategies for improving Nigeria’s higher education system. “The leadership changes reflect the President’s commitment to revitalising Nigeria’s higher education system through dynamic leadership and accountability,” the statement concluded.
