The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola OON, FAS, says UNILAG won research grants and awards worth over Eleven Billion Naira (N11,000,000,000.00) in the year 2023.
Speaking during the Annual Media Parley of the University which was held on Thursday, December 21, 2023, Prof. Ogunsola said the university also leveraged on scholarship opportunities including the Professorial Chair Endowment (to enhance focused-research and improve the quality of “industry-ready” graduates in Telecommunications and Social Sciences areas relevant to telecoms) courtesy of the National Communication Commission (NCC) worth Thirty Million Naira (N 30, 000,000.00), a feat, she described, as part of the low hanging fruits of the financial re-engineering efforts of the incumbent management’s Future-Ready Agenda.
While addressing journalists from both the print and electronic media platforms who converged on the UNILAG Senate Chamber for the Parley, Prof Ogunsola acknowledged and appreciated them for staying true and through despite the challenges of the year.
She described 2023 as trying for the Nigerian education sector due to many factors including the Japa syndrome which saw many universities losing its young researchers to other countries. Prof. Ogunsola said the persistent surge in exchange rates also impoverished the earnings of university staff across the country while infrastructural decay could not be substantially arrested.
She however used the avenue to reel out the scorecard of management for the outgoing year. These include:
- scholarship support for over 750 indigent students through payment of their obligatory fees, in fulfilment of her promise that no student drops out due to the increase in obligatory fees,
- provision of various palliatives for children and wards of staff members,
- engagement of 170 students in Work-Study (of 40-hour monthly) and upward review of work-study stipends from
N200 toN500 andN1000 for specific tasks.
Professor Ogunsola itemized efforts being put in place to support and promote scholarships among both students and staff such as:
- The Sahara Annual Students’ Scholar Award of One million naira (
N1,000,000.00) to outstanding students in Architecture, Economics, Engineering, Insurance and Library Information Sciences and twelve thousand dollars ($12,000,00) scholarship grant for 3 lecturers annually courtesy of Sahara Energy, - the remodelling of the UNILAG Library,
- renovation of Jaja Shopping Complex under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement,
- renovation of lecturers’ offices and donation of a 416 seater classroom by the Faculty of Engineering Alumni,
- upgrading of some critical infrastructures across campus to improve water supply, as well as
- ongoing renovation of students’ hostels and hall of residence among other milestones.
The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted feats recorded so far in training and capacity building for both staff members and students alike, including COURSERA Certification courses and training in disaster prevention and management under the auspices of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA). She said UNILAG has concluded the unbundling of various courses and faculties while new programmes/courses have been created to ensure compliance with global trends.
Under internationalization, Prof. Ogunsola said UNILAG within the outgoing year, hosted the 4th Biennial International Conference of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), the UMOJA African Student Leaders Network Summit and the annual International Week which was attended by over 40 Vice-Chancellors of various universities across the world. The events, according to her, aided the university’s efforts at conquering borders and fostering partnerships with a view to further expanding the frontiers of knowledge and carving a niche for UNILAG in the global comity of Ivory towers.
While offering insights into the incoming year, Prof. Ogunsola said, 2024 offers a window of consolidation for UNILAG especially in terms of staff recruitment, career advancement for both teaching and non-teaching staff as well as infrastructural improvement.
Posers from the media practitioners present at the Media Parley covered salient issues such as security, infrastructure and ways of consolidating on the gains of the outgoing year. The Vice-Chancellor used the avenue to reiterate management’s commitment towards harnessing every available means to improve the university infrastructurally for greater community impact as well as increased relevance nationally and internationally, without prejudice towards enhancing the lots of staff and students.
The event saw the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) presenting a plaque to the University of Lagos in acknowledgment of the long-standing relationship.
