The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, on Monday, January 19, 2026, raised the curtains on the institution’s 56th Convocation Ceremonies with the unveiling of a world-class Digital Multimedia Centre, setting a bold and future-facing tone for a week-long celebration of academic excellence and institutional progress.
Unveiling the facility which is located within the University Main Library, the Vice-Chancellor described the centre as a strategic investment in the future of African scholarship and research communication, designed to enhance the capacity of scholars to preserve, document, and project African knowledge systems through modern digital media. She noted that the initiative aligns with the University’s vision of becoming a truly future-ready institution where knowledge is not only generated but effectively communicated to global audiences.
The newly commissioned ultra-modern Hybrid Production Studio was further introduced by the University Librarian, Professor Christopher Okiki, who described the facility as one of the University’s foremost creative and knowledge-production hubs.
According to him, the studio represents a deliberate shift in the role of the academic library, from being primarily a repository of information to becoming an active production and dissemination center for digital scholarship.
Professor Okiki explained that the studio is equipped with state-of-the-art technology including live production and streaming systems, robotic PTZ cameras, virtual green-screen sets, a dedicated podcast area, professional-grade microphones, and broadcast-quality lighting.
These facilities, he noted, are designed to support teaching, learning, research, documentation, and creative experimentation, while enabling the production of documentaries, academic lectures, digital storytelling projects, interviews, e-learning resources, and other multimedia outputs.
He emphasised that the transformation reflects the UNILAG Library’s response to the evolving ways in which information is consumed, particularly by today’s learners who increasingly engage through video, audio, interactive media, and dynamic visual storytelling.
By positioning the library as a production hub, he said, the University of Lagos empowers its community not only to access information but also to create and disseminate it professionally.
The University Librarian also highlighted that the facility is accessible to students, faculty, and staff at no cost for academic purposes, while external users may access it through a structured fee system that supports sustainability. He noted that this model strengthens the contribution of UNILAG Library to institutional revenue generation and positions it as a nexus for trans-disciplinary collaboration and innovation.
Pof. Okiki acknowledged the visionaries behind the project including the African Centre of Excellence for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science (ACEDHARS), led by Professor Omobolanle Ade-Ademilua, whose directorate provided the financial backing for the project. He also paid tribute to the immdiate-past University Librarian, Professor Yetunde Zaid, who initiated the project and laid the foundation for its successful completion.
A notable feature of the facility is a striking mural created by 300-level Creative Arts students under the supervision of their lecturers. The mural visually highlights the creative and intellectual essence of the studio, reinforcing its role as a vibrant space for student innovation and artistic expression.
Exhibiting Ingenuity, Innovation, and Industry
Activities later moved to the Jelili Omotola (Multipurpose) Halls, where the Vice-Chancellor formally opened an Exhibition of Works and Innovations of various centres, departments and units across the University. The exhibition brought together staff, students, research groups, and partner organisations, showcasing a wide range of products, prototypes, research outputs, and creative innovations that reflect the University’s culture of inquiry, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving.
One of the prototypes on display which caught the eye of many was a Transtibal Bionic Limb, developed from the final-year research project of two graduating students of the Department of Biomedical Engineering: Mr. Hakeem Olunlade and Ms. Morola Ogunjeminiyi.
With their project, the two innovators aim to produce affordable and effective prosthesis for the Nigerian market by using locally sourced materials. A unique selling point of their innovation is that it leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) to establish a neuro-muscular link between the user’s brain and the Bionic Limb in a way that gives the user the liberty to move naturally and unhindered. Their project was supervised by Engineer Ugochi Uregbulam, a Lecturer II in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
FLADOV, an AI-powered software solution that allows Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to run their entire business operations with a conversation agent, was also on display. Promoted by the duo of Mr. Titoluwa Amoo and Mr. Daniel Ebabhi (400 Level Computer Engineering students of UNILAG), the “AI Super-App for SMEs” is a success story of the Accelerator Programme of ESDC-BOI Hub at UNILAG. The two of them are also products of the NitHUB-UNILAG Accelerator Programme. The solution is live on www.fladov.com and has already been getting enthusiastic patronage.
With Mobile Academy (www.mobileacademy.ng), the duo of Abdulquadri Ojure (400 Level, Economics Department) and Owoeye Oluwajomiloju (400 Level, Biochemistry Department) offer to the burgeoning pre-varsity population of Nigeria with a solution which makes it convenient, efficient, and affordable for them to prepare for critical examinations like the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). It curates all past question papers of both examination bodies from as far back as their respective founding in 1978 and 1988. Mobile Academy leverages AI to help the user learn efficiently and get feedback on performance in real time.
A Good Beginning …
The UNILAG 56th Convocation Ceremonies will continue throughout the week with academic, ceremonial, and celebratory events.
With events such as the exhibition which will run for five (5) days, the University of Lagos reaffirms its commitment to being a forward-looking institution anchored in knowledge creation, innovation, and national development.
Via our different online media channels, members of the public are warmly invited to share in the week-long celebration of accomplishment and institutional pride.
Report: Isaiah Kumuyi
Photography: Samuel Dosumu, Joshua Michael, Samuel Oludare (Volunteer), and Oluwatobiloba Gisanrin (Volunteer)
