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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has announced key appointments for the newly established Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences in Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State, and the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who announced the appointments, the moves align with his administration’s focus on expanding tertiary education and specialised research.
Binta Garba will lead the Governing Council as Pro-Chancellor and Chairperson. A veteran politician and administrator, Garba served in the House of Representatives (1999–2011) and the Senate (2015–2019), representing Adamawa North. Other council members include Prof Joseph Olurotimi Sanya, Mr Efe Emefienin Emmanuel, Dr Joyce Ogunyemi, and Alhaji Dahiru Abdullahi Ruma.
Principal officers appointed are Prof James Olugbenga Aribisala (Vice-Chancellor), Mr Oluwole Olalere Dada (Registrar), Mrs Adeniyi Rachael Ajayi (Bursar), and Prof Isaac Oluwadare Busayo (Librarian). The university, set to admit its first students in September 2025, aims to specialise in technology-driven education and environmental sciences.
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Tinubu commended Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele for championing the university’s establishment and urged appointees to prioritise academic excellence and innovation.
Meanwhile, the President named Muhammed Audu, a distinguished academic and former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, as Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo.
He succeeds Ohieku Salami and brings expertise in transformative academic initiatives.
Residents of Iyin Ekiti celebrated the university’s establishment, viewing it as a catalyst for socio-economic growth and federal presence in the region. Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji hailed the institution as a
“landmark achievement” for education and development. Critics, however, have questioned the proliferation of new universities amid existing infrastructure challenges.
