The Governing Council of the University of Abuja, now officially known as Yakubu Gowon University, has announced the appointment of Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi as the institution’s substantive Vice Chancellor.
The decision was ratified during the Council’s 80th Extraordinary Meeting held on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Acting Head of Information, Dr. Habib Yakoob.
“The appointment takes effect from Tuesday, February 10, 2026, for a single, non-renewable term of five years,” the statement read.
Prof. Fawehinmi, who currently serves as Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, brings to the role a deep academic pedigree and decades of experience in university administration. His appointment marks a new phase for the institution, which has been under interim leadership following controversies surrounding the previous administration.
In the same meeting, the Council extended the tenure of the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Mathew Adamu, until February 10, 2026. Adamu was first appointed by the Federal Government in August 2025.
A Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology, Fawehinmi is widely respected for his scholarly achievements and contributions to medical education. He previously served as Head of Department, Dean, and two-term Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Port Harcourt.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland and the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria, as well as a former President of the Society of Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria.
Renowned for innovation, Prof. Fawehinmi’s design of the AMRG Anthropometry Chair for Dimensional Body Measurements earned a Federal Government patent, underscoring his commitment to research and innovation.
With his appointment, stakeholders say Yakubu Gowon University is poised to experience renewed academic vigor and administrative stability.
Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi
