Obasanjo, Obi of Onitsha, others grace investiture of UNILAG’s 13th vice-chancellor

Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo; Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe; Retired justice and mother of the new vice-chancellor, Titi Mabogunje, and wife of the university’s former vice-chancellor, Christie Ade-Ajayi, were among the many dignitaries who presented the award as the first female Vice-Chancellor University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Folasade Ogunsola, Tuesday.

The Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, represented President Muhammadu Buhari as the Visitor of the university, and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu. He also delivered a speech on behalf of the NUC Executive Secretary, Abubakar Rasheed.

The event that coincides with the university’s 60th anniversary is also one of the activities to celebrate the university’s 53rd founding ceremony.

The new Vice-Chancellor, a professor of Medical Microbiology, is the first woman to hold the position, who is the first female provost of a university medical college, and a pioneering female acting vice-chancellor.

Investment

As is customary in the country’s university system, the first convocation ceremony witnessed by the new vice-chancellor is usually an opportunity to officially welcome them to office.

Conducting the investiture was the Chairman of the Institution’s Governing Board, Lanre Tejuoso, an alumnus of the university’s medical college, who took credit for organizing the selection process smoothly.

Mr. Tejuoso, who gave the office staff to the vice chancellor, commended him for his commitment to peace and tranquility on campus and thanked everyone who contributed to the process in one way or another.

NUC salutes Ogunsola

The National Universities Commission (NUC), in a speech delivered by Mr. Maiyaki, noted that history was made in the university with the investiture of the first woman “to occupy this lofty office after more than 60 years of establishment”.

The new helmswoman is urged to create sustainable partnerships with government agencies, industry, and society in her operation as vice chancellor, adding that “universities must focus on how students can learn and acquire relevant skills that will enable them to succeed in today’s dynamic world. and competitive”.

The NUC leader further stressed that the new vice-chancellor must ensure the university’s reward system is based on credibility.

He said: “There are many other important issues that you have to deal with if you want to succeed and pave the way for sustainable growth. The performance evaluation process is increasingly what we want in our university.

“There is a gradual erosion in evaluation and promotion at all levels. The intellectual space has shrunk to the extent that there is a subversion of the long and most respected academic tradition and prestige. It is no longer news that some professors have questionable credentials.

“You must ensure that the reward system is based on hard work and credibility and academic influence. and not only on belongingness to a trite formation designed to gain prebendal footholds”.

My contract with UNILAG – Ogunsola

After receiving the office equipment, Mrs. Ogunsola spoke about her plans and vision for the university.

He said: “Over the past 60 years, the university has distinguished itself by the caliber of its students, alumni and staff and its impact on national development. In those 60 years, the university has successfully nurtured more than 200,000 graduates who have made an indelible impact in all walks of life, local and global.

“However, important because of its impact, technological innovation challenges universities to achieve more in a few years what they did in the last decade. When the world is moving rapidly towards the fourth industrial revolution, there is a mass acceleration in the rate at which knowledge is produced and becomes obsolete. There is also a disruptive increase in technology, with the convergence of the physical, biological, and digital worlds.

“Navigating this space requires adapting and reorienting our thinking to create a future-ready workforce that is smart, creative, problem-solving, and collaborative with local and global influence. Achieving all this requires innovative and visionary leadership, so I am committed to to inspire and prepare staff and students for this fast-paced future.

Challenge

Speaking further, Mrs Ogunsola highlighted several “weaknesses and threats to the university”, which include inadequate funding, aging infrastructure, inadequate ICT infrastructure, the cost of public facilities especially electricity and constant disruptions in the academic calendar.

“That is why I am committed to work with the Board of Directors, staff, students, alumni, and all friends of our university, not only to overcome the current challenges but to create a university that can prepare us for a fast and fast future. as well as the energy to shape that future. At this time, I will be happy to share the definition of the university that I am very interested in,” he said.

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He also highlighted the 10 goals he captured in four pillars. He said: “We will increase our reputation by focusing on teaching, research and discovery. We will increase our finances by developing multiple income streams. We will develop the infrastructure to create an environment that works. We will grow our people by building character and improving staff knowledge and competence.

Using CCMAS NUC

He also acknowledged that his position as vice chancellor will come at a time when “Nigerian universities are given the freedom by the NCC to develop courses with a different flavor through the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), which will replace the very restrictive Basic Minimum Academic Standards “.

“We through the Senate want to use this to achieve the goal of developing Work Ready Future-Facing and Entrepreneurial students,” she said.

NUC said by CCMAS, each university is expected to provide 30 percent of the curriculum content of each academic program that is published.

“While ensuring that all your academic programs are consistent with the 70 percent content specified in the CCMAS, you will be creatively challenged to provide the 30 percent content in a way that will ensure that each program has a significant social impact and relevance in the context. of the local reality, national, and global that exists,” said Mr. Maiyaki.

The other gentlemen

Other dignitaries at the event included Ogunsola’s predecessors in office, notably the university’s 11th and 12th vice chancellors, Ramon Bello and Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.

Also present at the ceremony were representatives of the Oba of Lagos, Riliwanu Akiolu, members of the governing council of the university, members of the management, staff and students of the institution.