President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Hon. Chisom D. Obih and Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye to the governing councils of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, respectively.
According to a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Obih’s appointment follows the death of a member of the council.
Prof. Akinfeleye, a renowned communications specialist, is a former Head of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos and chairs the Centre of Excellence in Multimedia and Cinematography/Unilag Radio 103.1 FM and Television.
He replaces Mr. Wahab Owokoniran, now Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Federal University of Transport, Daura, Katsina State.
The President also appointed Prof. Ibrahim Adamu Yakasai as Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences and Technology, Tsafe, Zamfara State.
Prof. Yakasai, a retired Colonel from the Nigerian Army, is currently Provost of the College of Health Sciences at Bayero University, Kano. He chairs the Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Medicine in Nigeria and serves on the governing council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
He obtained an MBBS at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and later won a European Economic Commission scholarship for postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom, where he became a member and fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Prof. Yakasai also holds a Master’s in Medical Education from the University of Winchester and fellowships from the International College of Surgeons (USA) and the American College of Surgeons. His previous roles include serving as Director-General of the Hospitals Management Board, Kano State.
Other appointments in Tsafe include:
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been active in reshaping the leadership of federal university governing councils across Nigeria to improve governance and address leadership gaps.
In February 2025, Tinubu dissolved the Governing Council of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) and removed its Vice Chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi, amid eligibility controversies. Following this, he approved new members for the governing councils of UNIABUJA, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (NAU). The new appointees are expected to restore accountability and strengthen institutional management (Naijaonpoint).
Earlier, in August 2024, the President also approved the appointment of 65 new members to the governing councils of 13 federal universities and tertiary institutions across the country. This extensive reconstitution aims to provide clearer direction, improve administrative efficiency, and boost education governance