By Felix Khanoba
Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi on Thursday officially stepped into office as the 8th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja).
He succeeds Professor Mathew Adamu, who had been overseeing the institution in an acting capacity since Thursday, 11 August 2025.
Fawehinmi’s emergence followed a rigorous and transparent selection process conducted by the eleventh Governing Council at its 80th Extraordinary Meeting on Friday, 7 November 2025.
According to a statement signed by Dr Habib Yakoob, Acting Director of Information and University Relations, the new Vice-Chancellor, shortly after assuming office, expressed gratitude to the Council, Senate, Management, staff, students, and alumni for the support and warm welcome he received.
He also affirmed his commitment to working closely with stakeholders to enhance academic excellence, deepen research, drive innovation, maintain institutional stability, and improve the 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. It is my hope that with your support, this institution will achieve its vision of becoming a world class University,” the statement quoted the new VC to have said.
Members of the University community, including staff and students, who engaged with him expressed optimism about his appointment, pointing to his reputation for discipline, academic depth, and administrative competence.
The statement also highlighted Fawehinmi’s profile as a distinguished scholar of clinical anatomy and biomedical anthropology with over 30 years of academic, research, and administrative experience at both national and international levels.
“He holds a BMedSc degree in Anatomy and MBBS degree from the University of Port-Harcourt, an MSc in Medical Anthropology from the University of London and 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), Fellow, Anatomical Society of Nigeria (FASN), Fellow, Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria,(FECAN) and 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 scholarly career recognised within and outside Nigeria.
“The new Vice-Chancellor has commenced extensive consultation 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,” it added.
