By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has appointed Professor Ugochukwu Anyaehie as the institution’s substantive Vice Chancellor. He is expected to assume office on 19 November 2025 for a single five-year tenure.
The announcement was made on Sunday in Abuja by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Olugbenga Kukoyi.
Kukoyi said, “I am pleased to announce Professor Bond Anyaehie as the substantive Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikwe University after a thorough and transparent process.”
Anyaehie, a respected scholar in Physiology and Clinical Measurements, has nearly 20 years of academic experience at the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.
He takes over from Prof Carol Chinyelugo Arinze-Umobi, who has led the university in an acting capacity since the withdrawal of Prof Bernard Odoh’s appointment by President Bola Tinubu—who is Visitor to all federal universities—after concerns were raised over the process.
In his remarks, the incoming VC pledged to elevate the institution to a leading position nationally and globally.
He said, “Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport is one of the best in Nigeria so UNIZIK should also be the best university in Nigeria.
“I guarantee you that in the next six months UNIZIK will be well placed, its ranking will go to one of the best in Nigeria.”
A graduate of Abia State University, Uturu, where he earned his medical degree in 1998, Anyaehie holds a master’s degree (2004), a doctoral degree (2009), and an MPH (2011).
He began his academic career in 2002 as a part-time lecturer at Imo State University’s College of Medicine before joining the University of Nigeria in 2007, where he rose to the rank of professor in 2013.
His leadership experience includes serving as Deputy Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, between 2018 and 2022. He was also Acting Provost at the College of Medicine, Imo State University, and a visiting professor between 2020 and 2022 on a pro bono basis.