By Opeyemi Quadri 
A 56-year-old Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology, Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, was on Friday, November 7, 2025, announced as the 8th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), now Yakubu Gowon University.
His tenure is scheduled to begin from Tuesday, February 10, 2026, through February 10, 2031. It is for a nonrenewable tenure of five years. He will succeed Professor Mathew Adamu, whose role as an Acting Vice Chancellor is expected to come to an end on February 10, 2026, according to the Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Dr Olanrewaju Tejuoso. He will be the 8th Vice Chancellor since the establishment of UNIABUJA in 1988.
Meet Hakeem Fawehinmi
Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, born 29 September 29,1969, is a Nigerian Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology. He was the Pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian British University, a private university located in Abia State, Southeast, Nigeria.
Education
After completing his secondary school education, Fawehinmi obtained a Bachelor of Anatomy and an MBBS degree from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). He proceeded to the University of London, where he earned a Master’s degree in Medical Anthropology. He returned to Nigeria to take up lecturing appointment and would later complete and bag a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from his his Alma mata.
Career
After years of lecturing at the Department of Anatomy of UNIPORT, Fawehinmi became the head of the department first from 2005 to 2007 and later from 2007 to 2009. From 2010 to 2012, he was appointed Associate Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and later became the Dean of the Faculty in 2012, the poistion he held till 2014.
In 2016, the authority of University of Port Harcourt appointed him as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). He held the position for two terms, ending in 2020.
On February 16, 2023, Hekeem Fawehinmi was appointed by the Governing of Nigerian British University as the first Vice Chancellor of the private institution located in Asa, the Ukwa West council area of Abia State.
He has worked as an External Examiner and Assessor within and outside Nigeria, including in the United Kingdom. At some point, he led Visitation Panels of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to several medical schools.
Professional activities
Some of the professional bodies Fawehinmi belong to and actively take up leadership roles include:
- 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
- President of the Society of Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria (2014–2016)
Professional membership
The Professor of Clinical Anatomy and Biomedical Anthropology is a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (FRAI) and the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria (FAMedS).
Scholarly works
Fawehinmi has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in reputable indexed journals and 37 conference abstracts. He has participated in and served as a resource person in 78 conferences, workshops, and training programmes across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
He has supervised more than 100 BSc projects, 15 MSc theses, and 13 PhD/MD dissertations. 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,” while his other research works have been published on ResearchGate and Google Scholar.
Recognition
Fawehinmi was cited in the 2021 Africa Scientist Rankings by the Alper-Doger Scientific Index.
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