Kayode Olanrewaju 
…as varsity awards scholarship to five best students
A call has gone to the management, staff and other major stakeholders of Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu, Lagos, to drive the university’s ambitious programmes and vision towards actualising the immediate and future innovation and technological needs of the state and the country, at large.
The call was made by the ViceChancellor of University of Medical Sciences, Ondo in Ondo State, Prof Adesegun Fatusi, in his keynote address delivered at the 2nd Founder’s Day of the state-owned university, which was held at the College of Agriculture Auditorium of the institution.
The theme of this year’s Founder’s Day lecture was: “Getting It Right In A New University.” Fatusi, in his keynote address, said for the three-year-old LASUSTECH to sustain and maintain its rightful position in the comity of universities, especially in the technological space, it should develop and guide its unique philosophy, strategic vision, impactful actions towards producing innovative graduates that would stand the test of time and fit strongly into the world of work.
The guest lecturer, whose paper was segmented into three areas – Nigerian Universities: From Glory to Gory (Stories); Nigerian Universities: Fundamentals for New Glory; and New Universities: Getting to Glorious Future; however, noted that as at February 2024, Nigeria has a total of 274 universities, made up of 149 private, 63 state and 62 federal universities with a total enrollment of about 2.5 million students.
Despite this figure, he traced the challenges of Nigerian university system, as they inhibit the smooth delivery of universities’ core mandate of teaching, research and community service, to include poor funding; outdated curricula and pedagogy; poor governance and corruption; inadequate infrastructure; destructive unionism and strikes; poor standard and research output; and political interference and ethnicity.
Against this backdrop, Fatusi urged the university to think out of the box and to develop highperforming human resources in order to be a university of choice in science and technology.
This is as the don stated that the establishment of a world-class university requires, above all, strong leadership, a bold vision of the institution’s mission and goals, and a clearly articulated strategic plan to translate the vision into concrete targets and programmes.
Meanwhile, LASUSTECH’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olumuyiwa Odusanya, recalled that the three-year-old university, which opened its doors to the first set of 1,000 students in October 2023, today has over 5,000 students across its four faculties/ colleges, while all courses offered had been accredited.
Odusanya, who noted that the celebration of this year’s Founder’s Day called for total reflection review and renewal, added that moving forward, LASUSTECH in its next developmental phase would look into the setting up of postgraduate programmes; the Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board (JUPEB) programme; Post-HND Conversion programme; unbundling of some programmes; and creation of new innovative programmes.
The Vice-Chancellor stated that with his administration’s vision, tagged: “IMPACT” – Infrastructural development; Manpower development; Productivity and Prosperity of staff; A strong university culture and academic excellence; Catalyst to the Lagos State Agenda; and Town and Gown relationship in the context of entrepreneurial orientation – they could collectively continue to walk the talk.
Therefore, he called on the management staff, members of teaching and non-teaching staff, students and other critical stakeholders in the university project to connect and rededicate themselves to the IMPACT Agenda with a view to seeking how better to contribute to the development of the university.
He described 2024 as a momentous year for the university, as it not only completed its second academic session and admitted its third set of students, but that the institution became a well-known and respected member of the Nigerian University System with the support received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Apart from numerous collaborations entered into with some institutions and government agencies, the Vice-Chancellor said one remarkable achievement in 2024 was the accreditation of 25 academic programmes across the four colleges/faculties of the university by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other professional accreditation bodies. Odusanya said:
“This was a very big task but in unity of purpose, we rose up to the task, worked assiduously and presented the programmes, knowing that we would be successful. Accreditation is not an end to itself, though this will keep improving on all fronts.
“The challenge before us is to use the exercise to learn, maintain what we received and become better. We have another 14 programmes due for accreditation in 2025. Therefore, we must be ready.”
