President Tinubu Makes New Appointments In Education Sector
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed new heads for four institutions under the Federal Ministry of Education: the National Examination Council (NECO), National Board of Technical Education (NBTE), Federal Polytechnic N’yak Shendam, Plateau State, and the National Library of Nigeria.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President appointed Prof. Modupe Adeola Adelabu as Chairman of the Governing Board of NECO, and retained the current Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi.
President Tinubu also appointed Engr. Dr. Bongfa Binfa as Rector, Federal Polytechnic, N’yak Shendam, Plateau State, and renewed the tenure of Prof. Chinwe Veronica Anunobi as Director/Chief Executive of the National Library of Nigeria.
The statement disclosed that President Tinubu appointed distinguished academic Professor Babatunde Salako as Chairman of the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE), having earlier reappointed the incumbent Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris M. Bugaje, for a second and final five-year term on April 10.
Professor Adelabu, the new NECO Chairman, is a retired Professor of Educational Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University. She served as Deputy Governor of Ekiti State from 2013 to 2014 and chaired the NBTE Governing Board between 2018 and 2021.
Prof. Babatunde Salako, the new NBTE Chairman, is a globally respected researcher with decades of experience in higher education, institutional governance, and national policy leadership. He previously served as Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) from 2016 to 2024, leading significant revitalisation, expanded international collaborations, and improved research outputs.
Engr. Dr. Bongfa Binfa, from Plateau State, succeeds Dr. Mukaila Zakari Ya’u, the pioneer Rector of Federal Polytechnic, N’yak Shendam, whose tenure expired on March 16, 2026. The President approved his appointment for a single five-year term following a competitive process advertised in national dailies in September 2025.
Dr. Binfa holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. He was Deputy Rector (Academic) at the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny, and previously lectured in Mechanical Engineering at Federal Polytechnic, Idah.
The President also approved the renewal of Prof. Chinwe Veronica Anunobi’s tenure as CEO of the National Library of Nigeria for a final five-year term. She was first appointed on September 2, 2021.
Since assuming office, Prof. Anunobi has led reforms to reposition the National Library as a modern, technology-driven knowledge institution. Key initiatives include the National Repository of Nigeria, Newspaper and Magazine Locator, Index and Abstract to Nigerian Newspapers, and the National Virtual Library of Nigeria.
She has also advanced the long-awaited completion of the National Library Headquarters and initiated plans to migrate heritage collections from 34 state branches to the new headquarters in Abuja.
The President expects the renewal of her tenure to ensure continuity in ongoing reforms, completion of the headquarters project, and execution of the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan.
