Governing Council of University of Abuja, now known as Yakubu Gowon University, has appointed Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi as the substantive Vice Chancellor, effective February 10, 2026.
This appointment follows a period of leadership instability marked by several Acting Vice Chancellors, appointed by the Federal Government due to controversies surrounding the previous administration of Professor Aisha Maikudi.
Professor Mathew Adamu, the current Acting Vice Chancellor, will have his tenure extended until Fawehinmi’s official start date.
Professor Adamu was initially appointed to the role on August 11, 2025.
Professor Fawehinmi, who is currently the Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, brings a wealth of experience in academic administration to his new position.
His credentials include serving as the Head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Port Harcourt, Associate Dean and Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, and two terms as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
An active member of various national and international professional associations, Fawehinmi has held key roles, including Secretary-General of the Nigerian Medical Association, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anatomical Sciences, and President of the Society of Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria.
He has been recognized with numerous academic and community service awards and holds fellowships with prestigious institutions such as the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland and the Academy of Medicine Specialities of Nigeria.
Professor Fawehinmi has attracted national and international competitive grants as a Principal Investigator and gained a Federal Government patent for his innovative design of the AMRG Anthropometry Chair, which facilitates dimensional body measurements.
