Kayode Olanrewaju 
…as VC restates administration’s vision to enhance future-ready agenda for varsity
As the curtains were lowered on the 55th convocation of University of Lagos (UNILAG) for 2023/2024 academic session, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) has urged the government to prioritise the welfare of students across the nation’s institutions of higher learning.
This is as he reiterated the need for improved living standards and better support for educators, stating that “enhancing the well-being of academic professionals would directly contribute to the advancement of education and national development.”
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, who stated that in line with the university’s mandate of teaching, research and service, and as part of her administration’s vision and Future Ready Agenda, pledged that the management would continue to focus on financial engineering, infrastructural development, reputation building and manpower development of the institution. While addressing the guests, including the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who stood in for the President and Visitor to the university, she said:
“We focused on building leaders for the future and building minds that are relevant both locally and globally. “In doing this we forged new collaborations, exposed our students to international and national competitions, training and internships, developed more spaces working to improve the environment of learning.”
The Vice-Chancellor, however, expressed delight in the institution’s resilience and success despite recent socio-economic challenges that have impacted the country negatively, even as she commended members of the Senate and staff of the university for their hard work, dedication and in remaining focused and committed to excellence despite the continued economic and social challenges that characterised the lives of the people in the last two years.
Prof Ogunsola, who stated that this speaks to the dedication to excellence, integrity and responsibility of the members of staff, lauded all stakeholders for their unwavering support and dedication to the UNILAG brand.
She spotlighted some of the university’s significant advancements and research achievements, saying that the institution had successfully secured over N4 billion in funding through local and international grants in 2024, underscoring UNILAG’s growing impact and excellence in academia and research.
Prof Ogunsola, who noted that the traditional view of a university as an ivory tower of intellectual pursuit is increasingly outdated, stated further that universities could no longer be mere repositories of knowledge; as they must be dynamic players in the creation of wealth and the advancement of societies.
She also pointed out the impactful work of the university’s Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), a leading platform for African interdisciplinary scholarship, which according to her, “recently released its second documentary, which delves into the complexity of the cultural richness of Lagos, as well as land ancestry, and the true identity of a Lagosian.”
“The documentary has garnered significant attention, amassing over 16,788 views on YouTube as of December 30, 2024,” she added, even as the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the university’s exceptional achievements in sports, including its outstanding performance at the FASU Games, co-hosted with LASU, and the NIMSA Games, a competition for medical students across Nigeria, where UNILAG emerged with an impressive haul of 29 gold medals.
