UNILAG Registry Week Lecture 2.0: Speakers Advocate Emotional Intelligence, Ethical Leadership for Improved Service Delivery

The 2026 University of Lagos (UNILAG) Registry Week celebration climaxed on Thursday, November 12, 2026 with a Public lecture which underscored the need for emotional intelligence, ethical leadership, continuous professional development and digital innovation among non-teaching staff of universities.

Themed “Embracing Global Best Practices for Exceptional Service Delivery,” the grand finale of UNILAG Registry Week 2.0 held on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the J.F. Ade-Ajayi (Main) Auditorium, with members of the University community and representatives of other universities in attendance.

In her welcome address, the Registrar and Secretary to Council, University of Lagos, Mrs Victoria Abosede Wickliffe, described the Registry Week Celebration as an important initiative for celebrating the indispensable contributions of the Registry to the administration, growth and advancement of the University. She noted that the event provides a platform to reflect on collective achievements, strengthen professional relationships, recognize excellence and renew commitment to efficient and effective administrative service delivery.

Mrs Wickliffe said the Registry remains central to good governance, seamless policy implementation, institutional continuity and the actualization of the University’s vision and mission. She added that the quality of its work directly influences the experiences of students, staff and other stakeholders.

Speaking on the changing demands of higher education, the Registrar stressed the need for Registry professionals to embrace digital transformation, accountability, innovation and global best practices. While commending the Registry Week Planning Committee for sustaining the initiative, she reminded participants that the University’s greatest asset lies not only in its administrative systems but, more importantly, in the people who drive them.

Mrs Wickliffe consequently urged Registry personnel to uphold the values encapsulated in the acronym WAPIL: Work Ethics and Responsibility; Attitude and Conduct; Professional Competence; Innovation and Excellence; and Leadership and Growth. She encouraged staff to make the principles their daily standard of professionalism, noting that their consistent application would enhance the University’s reputation and position the UNILAG Registry as a model of excellence in university administration.

Professional Excellence and Digital Transformation

In her address, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, _{_{OON, FAS,}} reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Registry to the University’s growth and institutional sustainability, describing it as the administrative engine through which the University’s vision is translated into measurable outcomes.

She noted that the theme of the Second Registry Week “Embracing Global Best Practices for Exceptional Service Delivery,” aligns with the University’s vision of excellence and innovation, emphasizing the need for efficient, responsive and forward-looking administrative systems that meet global standards.

Professor Ogunsola identified the professionalization of non-teaching staff as a critical pillar of the University’s Future-Ready Agenda. She explained that exceptional service delivery depends on competent, skilled and professionally grounded personnel, a goal which informed the University’s deliberate approach to its recent recruitment exercise, which prioritized attracting professionals with the requisite expertise and capacity to strengthen its administrative structures.

The Vice-Chancellor also reaffirmed UNILAG’s commitment to the digitization of Human Resources Management and other administrative processes, describing digital transformation as more than the automation of routine activities. According to her, it involves building a system driven by skilled professionals and technology to enhance efficiency, transparency, user experience and institutional value.

She therefore challenged Registry personnel to move beyond traditional administrative responsibilities and become strategic partners in the University’s transformation by embracing innovation, emerging technologies and continuous professional development.

Quoting Mark Twain, Professor Ogunsola urged participants not to allow the pursuit of perfection to hinder progress but to embrace continuous improvement and innovation in their respective responsibilities.

The Chairman of the occasion, Professor Oluwole Familoni, _FAS, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), commended the UNILAG Registry for its longstanding contributions to the University’s growth, governance and institutional stability. He described the Registry as the custodian of the University’s records, policies, governance processes and administrative systems, noting that its efficiency and professionalism remain indispensable to sustaining academic excellence.

Professor Familoni applauded the Registrar for conceiving the Registry Week initiative, describing it as a valuable platform for professional development, institutional reflection and the exchange of ideas aimed at strengthening administrative excellence. He expressed confidence that the initiative would become an enduring tradition of the University, particularly as it provides an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Registry personnel to institutional development.

Drawing on his years of experience in university administration, the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor emphasised the importance of an efficient and forward-looking Registry to the successful operation of a university. He stressed that exceptional service delivery goes beyond efficient processes and technology to encompass integrity, professionalism, accountability, empathy, responsiveness, teamwork and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

He also paid tribute to Registry personnel for their often-unheralded contributions to preserving the University’s institutional memory, sustaining its traditions and ensuring administrative continuity. He urged them to remain committed to innovation, global best practices and professional excellence, and expressed optimism that their collective efforts would further strengthen UNILAG’s standing among leading universities in Africa and the world.

Registry 2.0 Lecture: Emotional Intelligence in University Administration

Former Registrar of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Dr Omojola Awosusi, delivered a lecture titled “Leveraging Emotional Intelligence and Modern Global Ethics for Student-Centric University Administration.” He advocated a shift towards student-centred university administration and warned that students are the most important stakeholders in the university system hence their experiences and relationships with university administrators can influence the long-term sustainability of institutions.

Drawing on established concepts of university education, Dr Awosusi noted that universities must go beyond teaching and research to inspire intellectual development, serve societal needs and shape inclusive societies. He maintained that administrative practices should be deliberately designed to create positive and lasting experiences for students.

Addressing the challenges confronting Nigerian universities, he identified underfunding, inadequate research investment, human resource deficits, inefficiency, low ICT adoption, poor data management and limited international student attraction as major constraints to institutional development. He, however, highlighted social capital as an alternative source of institutional sustainability, explaining that strong networks, enduring relationships and reciprocity among students, alumni, university management and other stakeholders could generate support for institutional development.

On the importance of emotional intelligence in effective university administration, the former Registrar stressed that administrators must understand their emotions, exercise restraint, demonstrate resilience and develop the capacity to understand the concerns of others, particularly students, many of whom belong to Generation-Z. He noted that empathy, effective communication, conflict management and relationship-building are critical in handling sensitive administrative situations, resolving disputes, counselling distressed students and building trust across the university community.

Speaking on modern global ethics, Dr Awosusi stressed the need for university administrators to uphold academic integrity, equity, justice, transparency, accountability, respect for human dignity and responsible institutional governance. He also highlighted ethical challenges in staff and student relations, financial administration and the handling of disciplinary matters, and warned against misconduct, corruption, falsification of records and abuse of administrative authority.

He further drew attention to the importance of due process, identifying the denial of fair hearing, irregular constitution of investigative panels, attempts by university authorities to adjudicate criminal matters, and the inappropriate use or underuse of the Vice-Chancellor’s powers as major pitfalls in the administration of justice within universities.

While advocating environmentally responsible administration, the guest lecturer urged universities to reduce paper consumption, minimize unnecessary printing and adopt digital document management systems as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms to improve efficiency and promote climate sustainability.

In his concluding lecture, Dr Awosusi called for a deliberate transformation of university administration towards a more humane, ethical, digitally enabled and student-centred model. He argued that while infrastructure, funding and good governance are essential to building world-class universities, their long-term sustainability also depends on the social capital generated through positive relationships with successive generations of students.

Dr Awosusi advocated the development of a new generation of student-centred administrators and academics who recognize every interaction with students as an investment in the University’s future.

Goodwill Messages & Presentation of Registry Sentinel (2^{^nd} Edition)

There were goodwill messages from the Registrars of EKO University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trinity University, Mountain Top University, James Hope University and MacPherson University. They all congratulated UNILAG on its Second Registry Week outing and commended the initiative as a platform for promoting professional development and administrative excellence.

Another highlight was the presentation of awards to dignitaries and public presentation the second edition of Registry Sentinel, a publication of the University of Lagos Registry.

The Second UNILAG Registry Week kicked off on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, with an awareness walk held simultaneously on the Akoka campus and the College of Medicine, Idi-Araba, alongside medical and recreational activities.

Click here to read more: https://unilag.edu.ng/unilag-registry-week-2026-kicks-off-with-emphasis-on-workplace-wellness/.

Wednesday, November 11, 2026, was dedicated to a Financial Literacy Seminar and Fair.