It came to the turn of the Faculty of Pharmacy, the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 to receive the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, FAS.
On the third leg of her familiarisation tour of the university, Professor Ogunsola began the day at the Faculty of Pharmacy, where she was received by the Dean, Professor A.A. Adepoju-Bello, as well as the teaching and non-teaching staff of the faculty.
Alongside other members of Management, the Vice-Chancellor was treated to a virtual tour of the Faculty of Pharmacy via which the Dean made a compelling case for increased investment in its personnel and facilities.
The Vice-Chancellor, in her response, expressed delight at being back at the Idi Araba campus. She identified with the needs of the Faculty and affirmed the readiness of her leadership to meet them.
“It is a pleasure for me to be here; and I thank you for your warm reception. Coming to Idi Araba is homecoming for me. I enjoyed the virtual tour of your faculty and listened to the very brilliant presentation of the Dean. Believe me when I say that I can feel what you feel. The reason I am here is to understand your challenges and to know how best to take them on, so that we can move our university into the future. You have my word that your request of a larger space for Medicinal Garden and solid land on the main campus for a new Faculty of Pharmacy building will be attended to”, she declared to a rapturous audience.
… at the Old Great Hall
Meanwhile, at the Old Great Hall of the College of Medicine, an expectant audience of teaching and non-teaching staff was waiting to receive the 1st female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos.
Led by the Provost, Professor David Oke, Deans of the Faculties of Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, and Dental Sciences were on ground to make presentations for their respective faculties and to felicitate with Professor Folasade Ogunsola, FAS, on her appointment.
Professor David Oke described the Vice-Chancellor as an Amazon whose trailblazing strides in academia and practice will continue to inspire many generations of female scholars. He appreciated her for taking time out to familiarise with the College of Medicine in her new capacity as leader of the University of Lagos.
For the Dean of Basic Medical Sciences, Professor O. Akinloye, the Vice-Chancellor is on loan to the University of Lagos; and his Faculty is proud to be doing so for the second time in the leadership history of the 60-year-old institution.
Professor Folasade Akinsola of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences expressed confidence in the ability of the Vice-Chancellor to lead the university to greater heights, just as she did as the first female Provost of the College of Medicine.
Dean of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, Professor Oluranti DaCosta, also showered encomium on the Vice-Chancellor and members of Management. She went down memory lane to remind her of the time when her Faculty, then known as a School of Dental Sciences, was the pioneer in West Africa and had foreign students from Ireland and India. She urged her to work at returning the College and the University at large to that enviable height, promising the committed support of all for her.
Questions were also taken from members of staff to which the Vice-Chancellor responded.
In her address, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, FAS, reaffirmed her determination to evolve the University of Lagos into a FUTURE-READY university, and expressed confidence in the power of the institution as a collective to get it done.
She addressed many matters of concern, ranging from funding and revenue for seamless operations to staff promotion, capacity building and welfare. According to her, while the challenges may seem daunting, the University of Lagos, under her watch, will be bold, creative, and daring. The university will work more closely with Industry in a mutually benefitting relationship of value creation and exchange.
“What I urge all of you to do is to be united. When we are united and believing of ourselves, there is no limit to what we can achieve.”, the Vice-Chancellor said.
LUTH was also waiting …
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Professor Wasiu Adeyemo, was waiting in the wings to lead the Vice-Chancellor and her entourage straight to the Chief Medical Director, Professor Chris Bode.
Straight to the Conference Room she was led; and there, she met with the leadership of one of Nigeria’s top-rated tertiary health institutions.
In his welcome address, the LUTH CMD, Professor Chris Bode, thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the relationship she has forged with the hospital over the years. She urged her to continue.
“The friendship you have maintained with this institution has brought many good things to us; and we desire that it should continue. A combination of good people, good vision, and good purpose lead to the achievement of great things. We are convinced that under your watch, that will be lot of our two sister institutions.”
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor described the relationship of both institutions as “Hand-in-glove”. She promised to work harder at cementing it for the mutual benefit of both institutions and for greater impacts on the society. She also used the opportunity to request that quick and special attention be given to staff and students of the University of Lagos at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) as a matter of policy.
The 13th Vice-Chancellor has been on a familiarisation tour of the University of Lagos since Wednesday, January 4, 2023. The tour will continue till Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
