The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Hakeem Fawehinmi, on Thursday, assumed duty as the 8th substantive vice-chancellor of the university.
Mr Fawehinmi, a professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology, was appointed VC on 7 November during an extraordinary meeting of the institution’s governing council.
The new VC was, until his latest appointment, the vice-chancellor of the Nigerian British University, Asa, Abia State.
Mr Fawehinmi now succeeds Mathew Adamu, also a professor, who has served in an acting capacity since 11 August.
According to a statement by the university’s spokesperson, Habib Yakoob, the new VC pledged to collaborate with all stakeholders to strengthen academic excellence, research output, innovation, institutional stability, and the overall student experience. He spoke shortly after assuming office.
Mr Fawehinmi appreciated the university council, senate, management, staff, students, and alumni for their support and warm reception.
“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,” he was quoted as saying.
About new VC
Hakeem Fawehinmi, a professor, is a scholar of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology with decades of teaching, research, and administrative experience.
At the University of Port Harcourt, where he spent most of his academic career, he served in several leadership positions, including Head of the Department of Anatomy (2005–2009), Associate Dean (2010–2012), Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (2012–2014), and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) (2016–2020).
He has also served on multiple statutory and ad hoc committees, gaining extensive experience in governance, academic planning, and institutional reform.
He is an active member of several professional associations and has served as President of the Society of Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria (2014–2016) and Secretary-General of the Nigerian Medical Association, Rivers State (1999–2000).
He is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (FRAI) and the Academy of Medicine Specialities of Nigeria (FAMedS).
His academic footprint includes over 100 peer-reviewed publications and 37 conference abstracts indexed in leading research databases. He has participated in over 70 international conferences and training programmes across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
In 2014, he delivered the 111th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Port Harcourt, titled “Different Tailors for the Same People; Same Surgeon for Different People.”
Mr Fawehinmi has attracted several national and international research grants and holds a federal government patent for his design of the AMRG Anthropometry Chair, a tool for dimensional body measurement.
He has also been involved in establishing partnerships between universities and industries, both within and outside Nigeria.
As an external examiner and assessor, he has served several first and second-generation Nigerian universities and was cited in the 2021 Africa Scientist Rankings by the Alper-Doger Scientific Index.
