UNILAG VC Says Her Administration Has Made Progress Despite Harsh Economy

Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, has said her administration since assumption of office on November 14, last year has made steady progress, despite the inclement economic climate and many disruptions. She also highlighted staff housing, funding and security as some challenges confronting the university.

Ogunsola speaking at a media parley at the Senate Chamber of the university last week, said, “We were determined to push forward to ensure that the university could grow and deliver on its mandate of teaching, research and service through the Future-ready agenda that is encapsulated by the four pillars of growth: Growing the Finance, Growing the infrastructure, Growing the Reputation and Growing the Manpower (FIRM).

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“This last year was one of consolidation, seed sowing and growth which we have achieved by building on our strengths, strengthening and developing new partnerships and facilitating the creativity and initiatives of staff and students. We have been putting in place the building blocks to make UNILAG Future-Ready.”

The VC also noted that the institution was recently selected as one of the  beneficiaries of a professorial Chair Endowment Fund worth N30 million by the National Communications Commission (NUC).

She said the endowment would enhance research activities and improve the quality of “industry-ready” graduates produced by the university in telecommunications and Social Sciences, areas that greatly impact the activities of the commission and Telecoms industry.

On improving the institution’s revenue, she said: “It is clear that we need to have new ways of generating revenue to meet our financial obligations. The raising of the obligatory fees was a difficult but necessary decision that had been taken even before the subsidy removal. This was to reduce the growing deficit. The fees still mean that the university can continue to subsidise  the education.

“As at today, over 32,778, undergraduate students have registered in both Akoka and Idi-Araba and I am glad to state that as we promised, no student has dropped out because of the increase in obligatory fees.To date, 765 indigent students have benefitted from various student support schemes including scholarships to cover obligatory fees, Adopt-an-Akokite, free meal ticket per day and work study.”

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Ogunsola said efforts at advancing contributions to industry development culminated in the strengthening of  its collaboration with Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO). This, she said,  resulted in the Senate-approved Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Hydrographic Surveying.

She also noted that the institution also partnered with  the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) in Disaster Management to train the UNILAG Fire Service personnel, adding that with input from industry through this collaboration,  the  curriculum of the Masters in Disaster Management (MDM) had been redesigned.

Ogunsola said Havillah Group publishing company, which donated books worth N20million to the university, was the first private organisation to reach out to her administration, adding that Total Energies also donated laboratory and fieldwork equipment for training Geoscience students to understand and interpret ditch cuttings and mud logs obtained from wells during drilling operations.

The  VC said the university commenced comprehensive infrastructure upgrade and rehabilitation of Mariere hall, and the renovated structure would be available for occupation by January 2024.

“More limited renovations were carried out in 7 hostels, (Moremi, Fagunwa, Jaja, Makama Bida and Eni Njoku, Amina and Biobaku Hostels.). The rooms, windows, nettings, doors, ceilings, floor tiles, toilets are being repaired. The rebuilding of block G of Moremi Hall is on-going and work has also started on the rehabilitation of the Honors Hostel. Both renovated halls should be ready in 2024,” she said.

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She noted that funding remains a challenge to optimising quality education delivery, but management would  not relent in boosting its finances.

Regarding security on campus, she said: “We  are beginning to experience unprecedented threats to the security of university property. This year, we experienced incessant attacks on university property but I will say that the combined efforts of our security agents and the Nigerian Police have helped to stem the tide. We will continue to ensure that we keep our campuses safe.”