The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, formerly University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, has formally assumed duty as the 8th substantive VC of the university.
The Acting Director, Information and University Relations, UniAbuja, Dr Habib Yakoob, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Yakoob said that Fawehinmi took over from Prof. Mathew Adamu who has been on acting capacity since August 11.
He said that the VC was appointed by the 11th Governing Council during its 80th Extraordinary Meeting held on November 7 after a rigorous and transparent selection process.
Meanwhile, shortly after assuming office as the new vice-chancellor, Fawehinmi 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 it.
“We will expand our academic and executive programmes as well as widen access to education within the FCT and beyond.
“It is my hope that with your support, this institution will achieve its vision of becoming a world class University”, he said.
The University spokesperson said that staff, students, and members of the University community expressed hope about his appointment, describing his reputation for discipline, academic substance and administrative experience as exemplary.
He further said that his qualifications reflected a robust and well-established scholarly career recognised within and outside Nigeria.
Yakoob said that the new vice-chancellor had commenced extensive consultation with principal officers, faculty leadership, student representatives, unions, and other key stakeholders.
According to him, this is to ensure a seamless transition and to align priorities for the next strategic phase of the University’s growth.
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 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) and Fellow, Anatomical Society of Nigeria (FASN).
He is also a 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.
