Fawehinmi Assumes Duty As 8th VC Of Yakubu Gowon Varsity In Abuja

Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, on Thursday, formally assumed duty as the 8th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja).

He took over from Professor Mathew Adamu, who has served in acting capacity since Thursday, August 11, 2025.

In a press statement signed by Dr Habib Yakoob, spokesperson of the institution, Prof. Fawehinmi took over from Professor Mathew Adamu, who had served in an acting capacity since Thursday, 11 August 2025.

Fawehinmi was appointed by the Eleventh Governing Council of the University during its 80th Extraordinary Meeting, held on Friday, November 7, 2025, after a rigorous and transparent selection process.

In his remarks shortly after resuming, the new Vice-Chancellor expressed appreciation to the Council, Senate, Management, staff, students, and alumni for their support and warm reception.

He pledged to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to strengthen academic excellence, research output, innovation, institutional stability, and the overall student experience.

“The University will, under my leadership, actively explore opportunities to collaborate and secure more funding to strengthen the University, expand our academic and executive programmes, as well as widen access to education within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and beyond.

“I is my hope that with your support, this institution will achieve its vision of becoming a world-class university,” he said.

The statement added that Prof. Fawehinmi is a highly respected scholar of clinical anatomy and biomedical anthropology, with over three decades of academic, research, and administrative leadership at national and international levels.

He holds a BMedSc degree in Anatomy and an MBBS degree from the University of Port Harcourt, an MSc in Medical Anthropology from the University of London, and a Doctor of Medicine (MD), the highest academic qualification in the medical profession.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (FRAI), a Fellow of the Anatomical Society of Nigeria (FASN), a Fellow of the Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria (FECAN), and a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria (FAMedS).

His professional qualifications, scholarly contributions, and global engagement are well recognised and publicly documented. They reflect a robust and well-established academic career, acknowledged within and outside Nigeria.

The new Vice-Chancellor has commenced extensive consultations with principal officers, faculty leadership, student representatives, unions, and other key stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition and to align priorities for the next strategic phase of the University’s growth.