By Gabriel Dike
Academic and administrative activities stood still at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, at the investiture of the university’s first female Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola. The Ade Ajayi Auditorium was filled to capacity as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Dr. Olanrewaju Tejuoso, inaugurated the new VC.
The event attracted former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Chris Maiyaki, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Pro-Chancellor and chairman Governing Council of the University of Benin, Dr. Sonny Kuku and founder, Guaranty Trust Bank, Mr. Fola Adeola among others.
Prof Ogunsola is the 13th VC of UNILAG. She was the pioneer Deputy VC, Development Service, where she oversaw the university’s internationalisation, innovation, entrepreneurship and strategic partnerships.
She was the 13th and first female Provost of its College of Medicine and the first female chairman, Association of Provosts of Colleges of Medicine, Nigeria. She is Professor of Medical Microbiology and Consultant, Clinical Microbiologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos.
Ogunsola graduated from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) as a medical doctor in 1982. Between 1982-1983 she did her horsemanship at both the University College Hospital and LUTH. After Youth service with Lagos State in 1984, obtained an MSc with distinction in Medical Microbiology in 1990 from UNILAG, College of Medicine.
She also obtained a PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
President Muhammadu Buhari was represented by Deputy Executive, National Universities Commission NUC, Maiyaki, described noted with excitement and a sense of fulfillment, that history is being made in the University of Lagos with the investiture of Prof. Ogunsola as the first female to occupy this exalted office after over 60 years of its establishment.
“We have cause to believe that her tenure will be marked by significant achievements of national and international pride. There are many other important issues that she must address to succeed and create a pathway for sustainable growth.
“The process of performance evaluation has increasingly left much to be desired in our universities. There is a gradual erosion of order in assessments and promotions at all levels. The intellectual space has shrunken to the extent that there is a subversion of the age-long and most cherished tradition and prestige of academia.
“It is important to emphasise that the NUC will also continue to support female academics to reach the highest academic, administrative and technical cadre in the university system as well as encourage and promote the enrolment of more female students in university education, across all disciplines.
‘’We must acknowledge that there are many qualified and competent female professors and academics in our universities, many of whom are making bold marks in various fields of academic and administrative endeavours. Happily, today, women already occupy every management position in the university system.”
Governing council chairman, Tejuoso, said: “What we saw during the selection exercise is an indication that the university has much human manpower that is capable of piloting the affairs of UNILAG.
“Ogunsola”s investiture is an indication that UNILAG is set to move to the next level. With her appointment, UNILAG will witness growth in academic development. “
Ogunsola unveils vision
Prof. Ogunsola unveiled her vision: “My mission, as the 13th VC, is to lead the University of Lagos to take on challenges even as we remain undaunted in our continuing quest to be positioned among the best universities in the world.”
According to the VC, her goals would be to move UNILAG into the future and for access to its data and the synchronization of the different units and campuses to deliver policies and activities that enhance its productivity, reduce the turnaround time, and ease the process of meeting academic expectations and satisfaction of staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders.
“My strategic plan is to make UNILAG Future-Ready, yielding inquiring minds, discoveries, sound character, and a globally impactful workforce while addressing the developmental needs of today which are centered around 10 core goals.
“The goals are F-inancial re-engineering for multiple streams of income, U-nlocking human potential, T-echnology-driven processes, U-nrelenting internationalisation and networking
R-esearch for Development, E-ntrepreneurship and Innovation.
“R in Ready stands for ranking with the best, E-nhancing students and staff experience, A-lumni repositioning, D-ecolonising our education and celebrating our history and culture and Y-ielding inquiring minds.
“Unlocking human potential by enhancing investment in staff and students by prioritizing modern methods of knowledge and skills acquisition and restructuring courses to reflect modern realities.
“We will also pursue the goal of alignment of training to job requirements for all staff while facilitating skills enhancement through training for enhanced productivity and self-actualization.
“Deploy technology and use data to drive our processes to produce a fully digital university and ensure the linkage of our three campuses.
“Uniquely accelerating internationalisation to create a globally impactful and dynamic workforce would, among other things, see us evolving policies and other interventions that foster the participation of international scholars (students and staff) in our academic activities.
“Aligning research to national development and the Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030), will compel us to assiduously encourage the next generation of researchers and promote research that shapes the future and positions UNILAG and Nigeria for impact and future dominance.
“Entrepreneurship and innovation that will produce leaders of thought and industry challenge us to pursue expanding our efforts at promoting entrepreneurship and skills development as well as aggressively promoting and supporting innovation and fostering industry linkages, to the end that we witness the creation of industry and start-up parks.
“Improve our world ranking by consolidating our investments in scholarship, digitalization, discoveries, financial independence and business.
“Enhance student and staff experience by creating a safe environment marked by beauty and serenity taking advantage of our location within an aquatic environment, which celebrates and projects our society’s contemporary and traditional cultures to the world
“Reposition Advancement and Alumni Relations using technology and best practices to improve the reach, public relations and endowments.
“Promote the Arts and Humanities in order to rediscover and showcase our values and foster our uniqueness and pride in our culture and country. In this regard, we will give our strength to promoting everything that helps the Nigerian and indeed, the African mission to evolve, celebrate, promote and project our distinct cultural flavours on to the world stage.”