The announcement was made during the 80th Extraordinary Meeting of Council on Friday. The appointment, which takes effect from Tuesday, 10 February 2026, is for a nonrenewable tenure of five years.
Professor Fawehinmi currently serves as the Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, a conventional private university located in Abia State.
In a related decision, the council approved the extension of the tenure of the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mathew Adamu, until 10 February 2026. Adamu was first appointed to the position on 11 August 2025 by the federal government. The council’s decision followed careful deliberation during the 80th Extraordinary Meeting.
Profile of Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi
Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi is a Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology, with an extensive record in academic leadership and institutional administration.
At the University of Port Harcourt, he served as Head of the Department of Anatomy for two terms (2005–2007; 2007–2009), Associate Dean (2010–2012), Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (2012–2014), and two terms as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) from 2016 to 2020.
His roles on statutory and ad-hoc committees have further equipped him with the skills to lead a dynamic academic community.
He has been actively involved in national and international professional associations. These include serving as Secretary-General and Member of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Medical Association Rivers State (1999–2000), Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anatomical Sciences, and President of the Society of Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria (2014–2016).
A Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (FRAI) and the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria (FAMedS), Professor Fawehinmi has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles.
He has presented 37 conference abstracts and participated in 78 conferences, workshops, and training programs across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
He has supervised more than 100 BSc projects, 15 MSc, and 13 PhD/MD dissertations. In 2014, he delivered the 111th Inaugural Lecture of UniPort titled “Different Tailors for the Same People; Same Surgeon for Different People.”
Professor Fawehinmi has attracted national and international competitive research grants and holds a Federal Government patent for his invention, the AMRG Anthropometry Chair for Dimensional Body Measurements.
He has facilitated multiple MoUs and partnerships between universities and communities locally and internationally.
As an external examiner and assessor, he has contributed to numerous Nigerian and international universities, including the University of Exeter, UK. He has also led visitation panels for the National Universities Commission and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
He was recognized in the 2021 Africa Scientist Rankings by the Alper-Doger Scientific Index.
Professor Fawehinmi is married to Dr. Hadeezat O. Fawehinmi, a lecturer at UniPort. The couple has five children.
As the current Pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, Professor Fawehinmi’s new appointment at Yakubu Gowon University marks a continuation of his commitment to academic excellence and transformative leadership in higher education.
