President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a leadership shake-up at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), relieving Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of his role as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the university’s Governing Council.
He will be replaced by retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Sadiq Ismaila Kaita.
The announcement was made on Friday via a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to Onanuga, the decision was taken to enable Dr. Gawuna to dedicate his full attention to his responsibilities as Chairman of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), a critical institution under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
“The President made the change to enable Dr. Gawuna to concentrate on his position at the FHA,” the statement noted.
AVM Kaita, the new BUK council head, brings decades of experience from Nigeria’s military command.
Before retiring, he served as Director of Strategy at Defence Headquarters and as Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation, playing key roles in modernising Nigeria’s defence approach.
Highly respected for his strategic thinking and contributions to training and institutional reform in the Air Force, Kaita is expected to apply his discipline and innovation-driven mindset to steer BUK during a period of challenges facing public universities, including funding constraints and infrastructure gaps.
Bayero University, a flagship institution in northern Nigeria, continues to serve as a vital centre for academic research, public policy engagement, and regional development.
Gawuna’s dual positions had raised concerns over divided attention, and the Presidency’s move is seen as an attempt to streamline his focus on national housing policy at the FHA.
With Kaita now leading the BUK council, expectations are high for transformative leadership within the university’s governance structure.
