Fawehinmi and the Iron Will to Make UNIABUJA World-Class Institution

As the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof Hakeem Fawehinmi, presided over his maiden congregation meeting, where he shared his vision for the institution, Raheem Akingbolu, who has been following the activities of the professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology since he took the mantle of leadership, reckons that he appears to be getting it right despite hurdles.

From January to December 2025, the University of Abuja, otherwise known as the University of National Unity, was constantly in the news, albeit for the wrong reasons. As a result of internal bickering and petty politics, the university produced four vice-chancellors within 11 months, two of them in substantive capacity, while two were appointed by the federal government basically to fill in the gap while the government was seeking a lasting solution to the leadership tussle that had almost crippled the 38-year-old institution.

On November 7, the university’s 11th council summoned the courage and announced Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, a University of Port Harcourt professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology. Given what the stakeholders had experienced in months before his appointment, only a few envied him. In fact, sources within the university revealed that a few individuals were setting off legal fireworks to stall his resumption, which was originally slated for February 10. However, before the disgruntled individuals could obtain the court injunction intended to stop him from assuming office, the council played a fast game and beckoned Fawehinmi to start work in the second week of December, 2025. The rest is history.

Prior to his emergence, the university was polarised along the lines of various groups. But the most prominent of these groups was the pro-Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, which believed that the university needed a forward-looking, administratively savvy scholar like the former VC, Na’Allah, and the pro-ASUU group, which advocated a fresh path free of any attachment to Na’Allah. Of course, the university was also divided along religious and ethnic lines.

It was on the basis of the argument that the university needed a leader who understood the institution, knew its challenges, and could build on Na’Allah’s achievements that Prof. Aisha Sani Maikudi was given an edge in her appointment on December 31, 2024. Unfortunately, her tenure was short-lived, and she was removed unexpectedly. Prof. Lar Patricia Manko was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as acting VC in February 2025 for a six-month term, following Maikudi’s removal. She was followed by Prof Mathew Adamu, also in acting capacity, until Fawehinmi came in as a substantive VC.

Fast-forward to last week when Fawehinmi presided over his maiden congregation meeting, where he shared his vision for the university and called for greater cooperation and unity among staff. Peace has returned to the institution which once wore a toga of bickering, mistrust and suspicion among teaching and non-teaching staff.

Fawehinmi said that his administration would be anchored on the core values of excellence, accountability, innovation, inclusiveness, and staff welfare. He also highlighted major achievements in teaching, research, and infrastructure development. He also reviewed progress made in his first 100 days in office, noting that his administration has stabilised the university, strengthened partnerships, improved service delivery, and positioned the institution for global relevance.

Expressing gratitude to the university council, led by Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso, the senate, and the entire university community for their support, Fawehinmi urged staff to work together to help realise the university’s vision of becoming a world-class institution.

Looking back on the last 100 days, the university administrator has taken the bull by the horns in his desperate move to unite the warring parties. As a first step, he did well in co-opting various interests among the staff, especially the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), culminating in the appointment of many of them to various academic/non-academic positions and committees to strengthen partnership and cohesion. One of such was the appointment of the renowned professor of Energy Law, Olanrewaju Aladeitan, as chairman of the combined 29th and 30th convocation ceremonies.

Fawehinmi has also taken a step towards addressing the endemic accommodation challenge facing the university by forming alliances with government agencies and participating in various public-private partnership initiatives. In line with this, the university community recently gathered to witness the groundbreaking ceremony of a 1,152-bed capacity female hostel, to be developed through a public-private partnership with Royal Dynasty Homes Ltd.

The vice-chancellor described the project as an important step toward addressing the institution’s accommodation challenges. With a student population of about 40,000 and fewer than 7,000 currently housed on campus, the new hostel is expected to help bridge part of the accommodation gap and improve students’ welfare, Fawehinmi stated.

Following the same approach, the campus branch of the Matrix Energy filling station, constructed under a public-private partnership, has been inaugurated at the university. Unveiling the project, located along the University Gate, Iddo axis of the campus, Fawehinmi stated that the facility represents a key step in advancing the university’s infrastructure and development agenda.

To enhance the university’s global visibility, the VC has consistently engaged with some government and international stakeholders to strengthen collaborations. For example, he recently received the High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria, His Excellency Walde Natangwe Ndevashiya, to explore strategic collaborations and bilateral relations between the university and Namibia.

Also recently, at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Abuja, he discussed areas of mutual interest, engaged with diplomats, and had a productive conversation with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris. Fawehinmi has also paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, to discuss opportunities for academic partnerships on humanitarian issues and poverty alleviation.

The vice-chancellor also hosted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, who recently delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Distinguished Personality Lecture Series of the university, on the theme ‘Exemplary Political Leadership on Infrastructural Development in Nigeria’, where Wike encouraged scholars, students, policymakers, and young Nigerians to contribute actively to building a democratic and well-governed nation.

Earlier, he had received delegations from three prospective partner institutions to explore collaborations across various disciplines. Among them were the research teams from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and New York University, led by Professor Mark Huffman of Washington University School of Medicine and Professor Gbenga Ogedegbe of New York University, both of whom were research partners with the university.

But perhaps Fawehinmi’s greatest achievement is that he has not allowed himself to be dragged into petty religious and ethnic rivalries in the university, which many observers have described as the biggest barrier to the university’s vision of greatness.