My ultimate agenda is to make UNILAG one of global best by 2022 – VC

…Gives scorecard of two years in office

Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, Lagos, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, has said that the ultimate agenda of the University under his watch is to become one of the global best.

He stated this recently while giving his scorecard at a media parley held in the Senate Chamber of the University where he stressed that this is aimed at getting the University ranked as one of the best four in Africa and indeed the best in Nigeria by 2022.

“Earlier last year uniRank placed University of Lagos as First in Nigeria and 12th in Africa. Also, the Times Higher Education (THE), one of the foremost University Ranking bodies, placed University of Lagos in 801 – 1000 group”, he said.

He also added that this is the first time the University of Lagos is appearing on the ranking list of Times Higher Education, saying “this is work in progress for us, we are optimistic that the next ranking will see us go further up as necessary mechanism are being put in place for this purpose”.

On Improved Research Excellence, the Vice Chancellor said the management is leveraging on the excellence of all the staff of the University by encouraging and assisting them to pay more attention to research and innovation.

“The members of staff have attracted about N4 billion in research grants. These include sponsorship of successful grant (s) among others.

The VC explained that in addition to the research grants attracted by the faculty members, the University itself through the Central Research Committee funded 33 research proposals from members of staff with over N84 million.

Over 40 proposals from the University of Lagos were shortlisted to submit full papers to TETFund in the ongoing National Research Fund grant, he added.

“No doubt we have witnessed a great renaissance in research culture in the University in the last two years. This is indeed a product of our commitment to create the much needed environment for academics to use their ingenuity and creative thinking in solving societal problems through research”, he said.

Prof Ogundipe also mentioned that the University Research and Innovation Office is currently being restructured to help academic staff harness their enormous research potentials.

He added that this will allow the Research Administrators focus on the administrative aspect of research grant management while the academic staff will concentrate on the research itself.

“This gives the researchers ample time to focus on the work to be done”.

Still on research, the Professor of Botany said the University successfully had the 13th and 14th Annual Research Conference and Fair with the theme “Automation and Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities for 21st Century Research and Development” which was selected to help create awareness about the need for Artificial Intelligence as a veritable tool for national development.

He also said within the last two years, the University attracted five Centres of Excellence namely: ARUA Centre of Excellence for Urbanisation and Habitable Cities – already managing a grant of £600,000.00, ACE for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science (ACEDRHMDRS) – already managing a grant of $6,000,000.00, IADS African Centre of Excellence on Reconfiguring African studies – running €840,000.00) Bayreuth University, Germany grant.

“We have also got conditional approval to host the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement. This Centre will be funded by the World Bank with the sum of $11,000,000.00,” he stated.

To further strengthen educational activities, Prof Ogundipe said the University of Lagos has equally attracted equipment from various organisations such as the $200,000 laboratory equipment from Seeding Labs, USA (2019) to Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management (CEBCEM);

110 laptops and 100 tablets donated by Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) to CITS , dental chairs donated by Flour Mills Nigeria Limited and the Alumni Association to Faculty of Dental Sciences – a donation that saved the faculty of Dentistry from failing accreditation.

On Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Prof Ogundipe said the entrepreneurship drive by the University Management is yielding positive results because the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre is breaking new barriers for the institution.

“The Centre has attracted a total of N349.2 million and $855,277 in training and capacity building for Staff and Students of the University in the last two years.

On Internationalisation, he said his administration’s drive to become a truly global University through various activities with international institutions continued earnestly.

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“The agencies, foreign embassies and international organisations as well as universities we have visited for the purpose of partnership and collaborations are now reaching out to work with us,” he said.

On Distance Learning Institute, he said the University has reduced the age barrier of applicants to allow more students apply into the programmes as new programmes have also been introduced under DLI.

On the state of infrastructure, the VC said since the last Congregation meeting, a lot has happened in terms of addressing the infrastructure in the University and some were commissioned during the last Convocation Ceremonies by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo such as the completed Olympic size swimming pool,

the completed TETFund sponsored Publishing House for the South-West Zone, Extension of the University Medical Centre Building and Completed Faculty of Engineering Lecture Theatre.

Other completed projects include the new Fire Service Station and Refurbishment of the DLI Auditorium to a world class Auditorium.

On staff welfare, he said the staff home ownership remains a critical agenda in his vision for the staff of the university.

“For this reason, we have had series of meetings with Family Homes, an initiative of the Federal Government, to provide homes for staff from Grade 9 and below.

A number of our staff already signified interest in the scheme and work is in progress to ensure fast allocation. We are also working with Family Homes to provide more accommodation on campus to augment the shortage of accommodation for staff and students”.

He noted that he hopes staff will be able to fund the home ownership scheme from the UNILAG Microfinance Bank which would soon commence operations.

“The Microfinance Bank will provide small loans to staff at low interest rates. We are still engaging the Lagos State Government to help our staff acquire landed property for housing scheme in Lagos State. This will ensure they have a home to retire to in future”, he said.

On Students welfare, he said: “We have ensured adequate power supply in spite of the epileptic power supply from national grid. Provision of water and other necessary social amenities.

“We have also decentralised the Counselling Unit into faculties and the religious houses to provide the necessary assistance for our students to perform well in their academics. We have also ensured that students’ halls of residence and environment are kept clean and hygienic”.

Also on Community Services, the UNILAG helmsman noted that the University initiated a coding application skills acquisition programme titled ‘Young Coders Application Development (YCAD)’.

According to him, the programme started in 2018 with 50 girls aged 13 – 16 from International School, University of Lagos.

“For the scratch class and AppInventors class, we had over 40 pupils from Queens College, Yaba; Amville School, Ilupeju; Rola International School Ikeja, Murtala Muhammed Airport School, Ikeja; Young Scholars Academy, Benin;

Pentecostal College, Iba; Grace High School, Gbagada; Baptist Academy, Obanikoro; Maryland Comprehensive High School, Maryland and Anglican Comprehensive High School, Ipaja”.

Other achievements include the University Television station, Unilag TV, the first Campus Television Station in Nigeria which commenced full transmission on StarTimes Channel 184.

He noted that this will be another avenue to train Mass Communication students and also improve the IGR of the university.