BREAKING: UniAbuja Gets New VC
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Governing Council of the University of Abuja, UniAbuja has approved the appointment of Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi as the new substantive Vice-Chancellor of the institution.
The announcement was made after the Council’s 80th Extraordinary Meeting held on Friday, November 7, 2025, under the chairmanship of Distinguished Senator (Dr.) Olanrewaju Tejuoso.
According to a statement issued by the Council, the appointment will take effect from Tuesday, February 10, 2026, for a non-renewable tenure of five years.
The Council also approved the extension of the tenure of the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mathew Adamu, until February 10, 2026, to ensure a seamless leadership transition.
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INCNews247 recalls that Adamu was first appointed on August 11, 2025, by the Federal Government following the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past Vice-Chancellor.
The decision, the statement noted, followed an exhaustive selection process and deliberations in line with the institution’s statutes and best practices guiding vice-chancellor appointments in federal universities.
Meanwhile, the new VC, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi is a Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology and currently serves as the Pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, Asa, Abia State.
An alumnus of the University of Port Harcourt, where he has spent most of his academic career, Fawehinmi has held several strategic positions, including Head of Department of Anatomy (2005–2009), Associate Dean (2010–2012), Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (2012–2014), and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) between 2016 and 2020.
He has also served on several statutory and ad hoc committees, equipping him with administrative experience and leadership depth that will be valuable in steering the University of Abuja toward global competitiveness.
Prof. Fawehinmi is widely published, with over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 37 conference abstracts to his credit.
His works are indexed in major global databases, and he has participated in 78 conferences, workshops, and training programmes across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
A recipient of numerous academic and community service awards, he has supervised more than 100 undergraduate projects, 15 master’s theses, and 13 PhD dissertations.
He delivered the 111th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Port Harcourt in 2014 titled “Different Tailors for the Same People; Same Surgeon for Different People”, which reflected his versatility in teaching and research.
