The Governing Council of the University of Abuja has appointed Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi as its new Vice-Chancellor, following a rigorous and transparent selection process.
The announcement was made during the Council’s 80th Extraordinary Meeting held on Friday, November 7, under the leadership of Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso, chairman of the 11th Governing Council.
According to Tejuoso, the appointment takes effect from February 10, 2026, for a non-renewable five-year tenure.
Rigorous Selection Amid Stakeholder Pressure
The university stated that the process “had attracted calls for transparency and fairness from various stakeholders.”
Its Alumni Association also urged the Council to “ensure a credible and merit-based process devoid of external interference.”
In a related development, the Council extended the tenure of the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mathew Adamu, until February 10, 2026. Adamu was appointed by the Federal Government in August 2025, during a nationwide leadership reshuffle affecting several federal universities.
A Year of Leadership Changes
The University of Abuja has experienced one of its most turbulent administrative years.
Earlier in 2025, President Bola Tinubu dismissed then Vice-Chancellor Prof. Aisha Sani Maikudi and dissolved the governing council. Maikudi, who had been confirmed as substantive VC in December 2024, was replaced by Prof. Lar Patricia Manko as Acting Vice-Chancellor for six months, with a directive that she “would not be eligible to apply for the substantive position.”
Following her term, Prof. Mathew Adamu was appointed Acting VC in August 2025.
With Prof. Fawehinmi’s appointment, the university will now have its fourth Vice-Chancellor within a single year, signaling renewed efforts to stabilize its leadership structure.
Meet Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi
According to the university, Fawehinmi is a Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology with over two decades of academic leadership experience.
He previously served as Head of Anatomy (2005–2009), Associate Dean (2010–2012), Dean (2012–2014), and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) (2016–2020) at the University of Port Harcourt.
The institution described him as a scholar “equipped with the requisite skills to provide leadership to a well-informed, articulate and growing academic community.”
Prof. Fawehinmi has also held national roles, including Secretary-General of the Nigerian Medical Association (Rivers State, 1999–2000), Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anatomical Sciences, and President of the Society of Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria (2014–2016).
A Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (FRAI) and Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria (FAMedS), he boasts “over 100 peer-reviewed publications and 37 conference abstracts,” according to the university.
He is currently the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, Asa, Abia State. Prof. Fawehinmi is married to Dr. Hadeezat O., a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, and they are blessed with five children.
Conclusion
With his appointment, the University of Abuja hopes to usher in a period of renewed academic stability and visionary leadership, following a year marked by frequent administrative transitions.