The train of the Familiarisation Tour of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, FAS stopped at the Faculties of Environmental Sciences and Education respectively on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.
At the first stop at the Environmental Sciences Lecture Theatre, Professor Ogunsola, who was well received, interacted with staff and students of the Faculty led by the Dean, Professor Modupe Omirin.
The first female Dean of Environmental Sciences expressed delight at being the one privileged to receive the university’s first female Vice-Chancellor. She congratulated Professor Ogunsola on her appointment to the exalted office and pledged the support of her faculty for the realisation of her vision.
“Your goal to get UNILAG into urban agriculture will get our utmost support, and so will your vision to open another campus. We have the expertise for these and we are ready to deploy them at your service. We pledge, as a Faculty, to do our best to support your administration, to ensure that your vision comes to fruition”, she declared.
Professor Omirin thereafter presented the challenges of the faculty to the Vice-Chancellor – a critical one of which is space for the Faculty Building – and solicited her support in addressing them.
The Vice-Chancellor, in her response, commended the staff and students of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences. She was full of praises for the creativity that they demonstrate and called on them to deploy same in the service of the university.
“There are many issues on our hands. There are many questions to answer. How do we increase the finances of the university? How do we develop cost-effective mass housing on this campus, considering the accommodation challenges we have? That is where I believe this Faculty will play a huge role. Give me cost-effective solutions that can allow us address infrastructural deficit challenges. I assure that when you bring them, we’ll act on them”.
She responded to questions and comments from the audience, amidst rounds of applause, and then proceeded to her next station.
…Rapturous Welcome at the Faculty of Education
It was a rapturous welcome for the Vice-Chancellor at the Faculty of Education, where a cultural troupe was already waiting to receive her at the entrance of the Faculty Lecture Hall.
Inside the hall, staff and students of the faculty were already waiting to welcome Professor Folasade Ogunsola, who they cheered and feted upon entrance.
At the head of the cheering was the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Bayo Oladipo. He extolled the Vice-Chancellor as a pathfinder, whose tenure will lead the University of Lagos into an era of many firsts.
The Head of Education Administration Department, Professor Adepoju Bello, made presentations to the Vice-Chancellor on behalf of all Heads of Department within the Faculty.
Professor Bello described the Faculty of Education as the “Mother of all Faculties”, and urged the Vice-Chancellor to give maximum support to the faculty for the greater good of the University of Lagos.
The Vice-Chancellor agreed with Professor Bello on his description of the Education Faculty as the Source for other faculties.
“That is why I now urge you to come up with ideas and solutions that other faculties can learn from. If we are going to teach better, who is better to lead us than the Faculty of Education?”, she quipped.
Other members of Management were also on hand to grace the occasion.
