Activities marking the Golden Jubilee (50th) Anniversary of the Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, University of Lagos formally kicked off on Monday, October 16, 2023, with a Press Conference where the acting Head of Department, Dr Faith Babalola re-affirmed the commitment of every member of staff towards grooming world-class graduates who would provide solutions to national problems.
While presenting the department’s scorecard for the past 5 decades before an array of pressmen and faculty members, Dr Babalola recalled how the journey began in October 1973 with just 15 pioneer students who were admitted with “A” level certificates for the then 3-year Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering.
She saluted successive managements of the university, Heads of Department and other stakeholders for the foresight, visionary leadership, hard work and sacrifice which allowed the department to metamorphose and grow in leaps and bounds with notable impacts over the decades.
Dr Babalola paid glowing tributes to former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jacob Festus Adeniyi Ajayi and Professor Francis Ayodele Ogunye (the founding HOD) as she listed out some of the notable dignitaries and national icons who had their tutelage in the department at different times. These icons include former governor and former minister, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and incumbent President, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, and former Group Executive Director, NNPC, Engr. Tony Ogbuigwe.
She highlighted the department’s milestones to include the commencement of postgraduate programme that is Master of Science (MSc) Degree Programme in Chemical Engineering in the 1978/1979 session, the commencement of Ph.D. in 1981, introduction of its Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in the 1985/1986 session, professional Masters in Process Engineering (MPE) Degree in 2003/2004 session and first admission into Petroleum and Chemical Engineering in the 2002/2003 session.
The acting head of department gave a breakdown of the department’s graduation statistics from 1973 till date as 2169 first degrees in Chemical Engineering, 574 first degrees in Petroleum and Gas Engineering, 66 Postgraduate Diploma (PGD), 242 professional Masters in Process Engineering (MPE), 633 M.Sc. and 38 PhD all in Chemical Engineering.
Dr Babalola however expressed concerns over the continued setbacks which the nation’s tertiary education has suffered over the decades, a development which she said has sabotaged some of the gains which the department would have recorded.
She particularly decried the poor funding which accounts for the current state of infrastructural decay, lack of improvement on training gadgets, equipment and technologies as well as reduction in staff strength due to relocation and retirement without replacement.
Dr Babalola whose views were corroborated by other members of the department therefore charged government to heed the call of tertiary institutions, especially in the areas of improved funding and autonomy with a view to allowing for recruitment of best hands.
She also called on old students of the department to seize the opportunity of the golden jubilee to mobilize and give back to their alma mater.
Posers from members of the press present at the media briefing centred around the poor state of tertiary education in Nigeria, its impact on the department as well as identified areas of intervention.
The acting Head of Department placed on record that despite the challenges, every member of staff irrespective of cadre, has remained high-spirited and committed, a vigour they intend to sustain while soliciting help and intervention from stakeholders so as to keep the department on its path of raising graduates who would continually fly the flag of the department while meeting global needs, making continental impacts and making the University of Lagos and the nation proud.
An awareness walk had earlier held during which members of the Department visited some parts of the UNILAG in a carnival-like procession to create awareness about the Golden Jubilee anniversary of the Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, University of Lagos.
Activities continue on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, with a lecture titled Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department UNILAG: the past fifty years and looking forward.
