UNILAG Hosts FAN Pre-Launch Roundtable to Strengthen Female Academic Network

The Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG), on Monday, August 4, 2025, hosted the pre-launch roundtable of the Female Academic Network (FAN), a collaborative initiative aimed at fostering career development, visibility, and leadership opportunities for women in academia.

Held at the Faculty of Law Boardroom, the event convened female scholars from UNILAG, Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), and other institutions across Nigeria. The theme of the roundtable was: “Building a Functional Network for Females in Academia: Prospects, Challenges and Strategies.”

The roundtable was convened by Professor Adejoke Oyewunmi, Professor of Intellectual Property, Commercial and Industrial Law, UNILAG. She noted that the idea was inspired by the 2024 Females in Academics Conference at Babcock University, where leading scholars—including Dr. Josephine Adekola of the University of Glasgow—highlighted the gaps in mentorship, collaboration, and gender-inclusive research environments.

In a virtual presentation titled “Establishing a Female Academic Network for Research Development and International Collaboration”, Dr. Adekola emphasized the need to address underrepresentation of women in research leadership and called for networks that facilitate collaboration, career mobility, and global engagement.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, who attended the event, shared her personal experiences as the first female Provost of the College of Medicine and later as Vice-Chancellor. She encouraged women to lead with excellence, remain focused, avoid taking criticism personally, and cultivate resilience. “Leadership is not about popularity,” she stated. “When you make a mistake as a woman, the backlash is worse, but you must rise above it.”

In her keynote address, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), Professor Bola Oboh, urged participants to build visibility through strategic publishing and networking. “Publish where people will see you,” she advised, stressing the need for women to attend conferences, run for leadership roles, and engage in interdisciplinary research.

The event featured interactive group discussions on the structure, vision, and sustainability of the proposed network. Attendees identified key barriers such as limited mentorship, work-life imbalance, and institutional bias—while proposing solutions like peer support systems, research grants, and structured training for early-career academics.

The FAN Pre-Launch Roundtable marks a significant step toward establishing a national network dedicated to empowering women in academia through research collaboration, leadership development, and career advancement. The formal launch of the Female Academic Network is expected to follow in the coming months.