The University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University, has announced the appointment of Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi as its new substantive Vice-Chancellor. A seasoned academic and administrator, Fawehinmi is a Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology with decades of leadership experience at the University of Port Harcourt.
A new chapter begins at the University of Abuja, now renamed Yakubu Gowon University, as Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi has been appointed the institution’s substantive Vice-Chancellor.
The announcement was made during the 80th Extraordinary Meeting of the Governing Council held on Friday, according to a statement released by the university’s Acting Head of Information, Dr. Habib Yakoob.
Dr. Yakoob revealed that the appointment will take effect from Tuesday, February 10, 2026, and will run for a single, non-renewable five-year tenure.
Professor Fawehinmi, who currently serves as the Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, brings to his new role decades of leadership and academic experience. His appointment comes after several months of interim leadership under acting Vice-Chancellors appointed by the Federal Government, following the controversies that surrounded the former VC, Professor Aisha Maikudi.
Meanwhile, the Council also approved the extension of the tenure of the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mathew Adamu, until February 10, 2026. Adamu had initially assumed office on August 11, 2025, following his appointment by the Federal Government.
A Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology, Fawehinmi is deeply rooted in academic excellence and institutional governance. Over the years, he has held several strategic positions at the University of Port Harcourt, including two terms as Head of the Department of Anatomy (2005–2009), Associate Dean (2010–2012), Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (2012–2014), and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) (2016–2020).
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Beyond administration, he has contributed to numerous university boards and committees and has played vital roles in professional bodies, serving as Secretary-General and Member of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Medical Association, Rivers State (1999–2000), Editor-in-Chief of the , and President of the Society of Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria (2014–2016).
Professor Fawehinmi has received numerous academic and community service awards and holds fellowships with the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland and the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria. He has also secured several national and international research grants as a Principal Investigator. Notably, his innovative invention - the AMRG Anthropometry Chair for Dimensional Body Measurements - earned a Federal Government Patent for its unique design and scientific contribution.
With his appointment, the university community anticipates a new era of growth, innovation, and academic advancement under Professor Fawehinmi’s leadership.