President Bola Tinubu has sanctioned new leadership appointments for the National Examination Council (NECO), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Federal Polytechnic in N’yak-Shendam, Plateau State, and the National Library of Nigeria. These institutions all fall under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to a statement from his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu has appointed Professor Modupe Adeola Adelabu as the Chairperson of NECO’s Governing Board, while retaining the current registrar, Professor Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi.
Further appointments include Dr. Bongfa Binfa as the Rector for the Federal Polytechnic, N’yak-Shendam, Plateau State. Additionally, the tenure of Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi as the Director/Chief Executive of the National Library of Nigeria has been renewed.
Professor Babatunde Salako has been appointed as the new chairman for the NBTE.
In a related development on April 10, 2026, President Tinubu confirmed the reappointment of Professor Idris M. Bugaje for a second and final five-year term as the executive secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Professor Adelabu, who will now chair NECO, is a distinguished retired professor of educational administration and a former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State (2013-2014). She previously served as the Chairman of NBTE from 2018 to 2021.
Professor Salako, the new NBTE chairman, is recognised internationally as a researcher with extensive experience in higher education, institutional management, and national policy formulation. He previously led the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) as Director-General from 2016 to 2024, during which the institute saw substantial improvements in research governance, international partnerships, infrastructure, and output.
Dr. Binfa, from Plateau State, takes over from Dr. Mukaila Zakari Ya’u, who served as the pioneer Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, N’yak-Shendam, until his tenure concluded on March 16, 2026. Dr. Binfa’s appointment is for a single five-year term, following a public selection process initiated in September 2025.
Dr. Binfa holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and previously served as Deputy Rector (Academic) at the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas in Bonny. He also lectured in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Federal Polytechnic, Idah.
President Tinubu has approved the renewal of Professor Anunobi’s tenure as CEO of the National Library of Nigeria for a final five-year term. Her initial appointment was on September 2, 2021.
Since her first appointment, Professor Anunobi has overseen significant institutional reforms at the National Library, aiming to transform it into a modern, technology-driven knowledge hub. Key initiatives include the establishment 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 long-delayed National Library Headquarters project and initiating plans to centralise heritage collections from 34 state branches at the new Abuja headquarters.
The President expressed expectations that the renewal of Professor Anunobi’s tenure will ensure continuity in ongoing reforms, facilitate the completion of the National Library Headquarters, and support the execution of the institution's 2025-2030 Strategic Plan.
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