Fawehinmi Takes Helm at University of Abuja, Aims to End Leadership Turmoil

The University of Abuja, often called the University of National Unity, has endured a tumultuous period, marked by a staggering four vice-chancellors in just eleven months during 2025. This instability, fueled by internal bickering and political maneuvering, had crippled the 38-year-old institution and threatened its academic integrity.

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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.

Amidst this chaos, Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi, a distinguished professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology from the University of Port Harcourt, has stepped into the role of substantive Vice-Chancellor. His appointment on November 7, and subsequent resumption in December 2025, was not without its hurdles. Sources indicate that disgruntled individuals attempted to legally block his resumption, highlighting the deep divisions within the university community.

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Given what the stakeholders had experienced in months before his appointment, only a few envied him.

Prior to Fawehinmi's arrival, the university was fractured along various lines, including factions supporting the former VC, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, and those advocating for a new direction. Ethnic and religious divisions also played a role in the polarization. The brief tenures of Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi and acting VCs Professor Lar Patricia Manko and Professor Mathew Adamu underscored the urgent need for a stable and unifying leadership.

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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.

Presiding over his maiden congregation meeting, Professor Fawehinmi articulated his vision for the University of Abuja, calling for enhanced cooperation and unity among staff. His leadership marks a potential turning point, aiming to heal the rifts and steer the institution towards its goal of becoming a world-class establishment. The return of peace to an institution previously defined by mistrust and suspicion is a testament to the challenges and the hope that Fawehinmi's tenure brings.

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Peace has returned to the institution which once wore a toga of bickering, mistrust and suspicion among teaching and non-teaching staff.