Activities marking the 2026 International Customer Service Week (ICSW) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) concluded on Thursday, October 8, 2026, with a Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum and Awards & Prize-Giving Ceremony held at the J.F. Ade. Ajayi (Main) Auditorium, UNILAG, Akoka.
Held under the theme, “The Extra Mile,” the three-day programme commenced on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 with a Media Engagement and Service Awareness Campaign, followed by activities focused on service delivery, feedback, innovation and recognition (For highlights of the Media Engagement and Service Awareness Campaign, please click: https://unilag.edu.ng/unilag-takes-extra-mile-campaign-to-three-campuses-as-2026-intl-customer-service-week-begins/ ).
The finale of the weeklong programme brought together members of University Management, staff, students and other stakeholders to reflect on the quality of services across the University, showcase initiatives aimed at improving the University experience, and recognise individuals and units whose contributions have advanced the culture of service.
Evidence-Driven Quality Assurance
Speaking at the ceremony, the Director, Quality Assurance and SERVICOM Unit (QASU), Professor Olufemi Saibu, emphasised the importance of evidence in driving institutional improvement.
Professor Saibu explained that quality assurance at UNILAG is not merely a slogan, but a process supported by deliberate systems, assessments and interventions aimed at improving teaching, learning, research, examinations and service delivery. He explained that the evidence generated through QASU’s activities served as important tools for supporting decision-making and institutional improvement.
According to him, QASU continues to provide Management with relevant evidence and feedback to strengthen institutional processes and improve the experience of members of the University community.
Professor Saibu disclosed that during the 2025/2026 academic session, the Unit audited about 130 lecture halls and rooms across 19 faculties, assessing facilities including seating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, projection equipment and writing boards. He said the findings provided useful information for prioritising repairs, upgrades and other interventions.
The Professor of Economics also highlighted efforts to ensure that laboratories were ready for learning and that the integrity of examinations was maintained. He explained that Computer-Based Tests and conventional examinations across faculties were continually monitored, with about 90 per cent of question papers meeting the required standards across the two semesters.
Professor Saibu added that the decentralisation of the first-semester JFTCB examination across laboratories on campus helped reduce congestion, while challenges relating to facilities and power supply were identified, documented and reported to Management, alongside recommendations for mitigation.
On student feedback, he revealed that 241 students participated in an anonymous Student Experience Survey conducted in September 2026. About 87 per cent of respondents rated their classroom experience as excellent or very good, while about 90 per cent rated their lecturers’ performance positively.
He highlighted the University’s efforts to improve accessibility and responsiveness through dedicated telephone lines and contact points for key services, including Security, Medical Services, Student Affairs, and Guidance and Counselling.
Professor Saibu spoke about the student-driven feedback initiative developed through QASU, which provided students with an opportunity to contribute ideas and develop practical solutions for improving feedback mechanisms. The initiative culminated in a competition that produced several concepts for a university-wide feedback hub.
LAGVoice emerged as the overall winner, followed by Quality Hub in second place, while WhisperLag and Team ACE placed third and fourth, respectively. The winning teams were recognised during the ceremony.
Looking ahead, Professor Saibu said QASU would focus on closing feedback gaps, expanding student participation in its surveys, and strengthening the use of student satisfaction as an important measure of institutional credibility. He expressed the hope that future surveys would attract at least 380 respondents.
Going the Extra Mile in Service
In her remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, commended the Quality Assurance and SERVICOM community for its contributions to the University’s development.
She described the service community as an important part of the University’s institutional structure, particularly because of the feedback it provides to Management in identifying areas requiring attention and supporting informed decisions.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed that excellence in service delivery is a collective responsibility, urging members of staff to consistently give their best in whatever responsibilities they undertake.
Professor Ogunsola noted that improving the University’s environment, processes and outputs requires everyone to take ownership of their roles, adding that the quality of individual contributions ultimately shapes the institution as a whole.
The Chairman of the occasion and Registrar/CEO of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Dr. Kingsley O. Igwe, brought industry perspective to the discussion, describing customer service as central to effective regulation and national development.
Dr. Igwe, who has nearly two decades of professional experience, said going the extra mile means identifying opportunities to add value beyond what might ordinarily be considered an obligation.
He explained that the freight and logistics sector connects businesses, consumers and markets, making efficient service delivery critical to the wider economy. According to him, regulators and service providers must do more than enforce rules; they must make legitimate business easier, provide clear information, embrace technology and reduce unnecessary delays.
He described good customer service as a shared responsibility requiring Management to build the right systems, staff to remain professional, technology to simplify processes, and customers to provide constructive feedback while respecting established procedures.
Dr. Igwe commended UNILAG for treating customer service as an institutional culture rather than a one-off event and for recognising staff who have contributed to efficient service delivery. He also pledged to contribute his intellectual capital to the Institute of Maritime Studies, UNILAG.
Representing the Keynote Speaker and Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Mrs. Joy Iroriteraya Ewan spoke on the place of service excellence in national development. She stressed the need for institutions and their personnel to consistently go the extra mile in delivering value.
According to her, the quality of service in the port sector has a direct bearing on the cost and speed of doing business. Ports serve as gateways to the economy, and delays or unresolved complaints along the cargo chain ultimately increase costs for businesses and consumers.
She reiterated NPA’s commitment to improving efficiency, embracing technology and maintaining regular engagement with terminal operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders and other port users, whom it regards as partners in national development.
The National Officer, Quality Assurance and SERVICOM, Mrs. Helen Lawal, was represented by Mrs. Kikelomo Aina, who delivered a goodwill message. Also present was the Focal Officer from Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo State, Dr. Kayode Bolarinwa.
From Awareness to Recognition
Tuesday’s Media Engagement and Service Awareness Campaign took the message of service excellence across the University’s Akoka, Idi-Araba and Yaba campuses. Wednesday’s activities shifted the focus to innovation, with the presentation of the QASU App initiative developed through a student competition, alongside fun games and an exhibition.
Thursday’s ceremony provided the platform to celebrate people and ideas contributing to the University’s service culture.
Award winners list
Report: Bayo Salau
Photographs: Islamiat Oyebamire-Akanni
The Extra Mile
The 2026 celebration also marked a significant moment for the Quality Assurance and SERVICOM Unit, UNILAG. It was Professor Olufemi Saibu’s final ICSW as Director, following his appointment in 2023, while Dr. Emo (?) Akarawak, who completed her tenure as Deputy Director, QASU in July, 2026, remained actively involved as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, 2026 ICSW.
The week ultimately reflected the spirit of its theme, “The Extra Mile,” highlighting the importance of service, feedback, innovation and recognition in strengthening the University’s institutional culture.
