Tinubu appoints Adelabu, Salako others in education sector shake-up

...Retains NECO registrar, renews Anunobi’s tenure at National Library

...Names Binfa rector of N’yak-Shendam Polytechnic, reappoints Bugaje at NBTE

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a new round of appointments across key institutions in the education sector, naming new governing board chairmen and chief executives for agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education.

The appointments affect the National Examinations Council (NECO), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Federal Polytechnic in N’yak-Shendam, Plateau State, and the National Library of Nigeria.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President appointed Prof. Modupe Adeola Adelabu as Chairman of the Governing Board of NECO, while retaining the current Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi.

In a related development, Prof. Babatunde Salako was named Chairman of the NBTE, with the President also approving the reappointment of the incumbent Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris M. Bugaje, for a second and final term of five years.

Salako, a renowned academic and researcher, previously served as Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research from 2016 to 2024, where he was credited with strengthening research governance, expanding international collaborations and improving institutional infrastructure.

For the Federal Polytechnic, N’yak-Shendam in Plateau State, the President appointed Engr. Dr Bongfa Binfa as Rector for a single term of five years, following the expiration of the tenure of the pioneer rector, Dr Mukaila Zakari Ya’u, on March 16, 2026.

Binfa, who holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, was until his appointment the Deputy Rector (Academic) at the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny, and had previously lectured at the Federal Polytechnic, Idah.

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President Tinubu also approved the renewal of the tenure of Prof. Chinwe Veronica Anunobi as Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria for a final term of five years.

Anunobi, first appointed on September 2, 2021, has led reforms aimed at repositioning the National Library as a technology-driven knowledge institution. 

Her initiatives include the development of the National Repository of Nigeria, the Newspaper and Magazine Locator, the Index and Abstract to Nigerian Newspapers, and the National Virtual Library of Nigeria.

She has also been instrumental in advancing the completion of the National Library Headquarters project in Abuja and initiating plans to migrate heritage collections from 34 state branches to the new facility.

The President, according to the statement, said the renewal of her tenure is expected to ensure continuity in ongoing reforms, facilitate the completion of the National Library headquarters, and support the implementation of the institution’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan.