University of Abuja Leadership Crisis Deepens Over Unqualified Vice-Chancellor Appointment
A growing crisis at Nigeria’s University of Abuja has intensified following the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor who lacks the mandatory doctoral degree, sparking widespread concern over governance and institutional autonomy.
The appointment of Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, a medical fellow, as the institution’s 8th substantive Vice-Chancellor has been challenged on grounds of eligibility. Federal regulations and a 2023 ruling by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria affirm that a PhD is a non-negotiable requirement for such positions, explicitly stating that a medical fellowship does not constitute an equivalent qualification.
This development follows a tumultuous period marked by rapid leadership turnover. In early February 2025, the university’s 10th Governing Council was dissolved and the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, was removed. This was followed by the brief tenure of two acting Vice-Chancellors appointed directly by the Federal Ministry of Education—Professors Patricia Manko Lar and Mathew Adamu—a move stakeholders contend violated university statutes that vest such appointment powers in the Senate and Governing Council.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Moruf Tunji Alausa, has overseen the process despite oversight directives from both the House of Representatives and Senate committees, which ordered a pause in the selection process pending review. The government’s approach has drawn unfavourable comparisons to Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, where a removed female Vice-Chancellor was later reinstated following a ministerial investigation—a remedy not extended to the University of Abuja.
Observers note the crisis has created severe operational instability, including leadership confusion, micromanagement, low staff morale, and academic disruption. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other stakeholders have expressed frustration over perceived executive overreach that undermines university autonomy.
The current situation presents a dual anomaly: an unlawfully removed substantive Vice-Chancellor has been succeeded by an appointee whose eligibility is legally disputed. Legal experts suggest Professor Fawehinmi’s position is untenable, as the appointment process itself was conducted by authorities lacking the requisite statutory mandate.
The unfolding events at the University of Abuja are now seen as a critical test for Nigeria’s public university system, raising fundamental questions about adherence to established governance rules, the sanctity of statutory qualifications, and the boundaries of political interference in higher education.
The institution remains in a state of suspended leadership, with no clear resolution in sight, as national attention focuses on whether rule of law and due process will be restored.
