Except for last minute changes, for the first time since its establishment 60 years ago, the university of lakes (UNILAG), Akoka, is ready to appoint a substantive vice chancellor.
According to people familiar with the matter, the university’s governing council selection board will appoint Folasade Ogunsola, the first and only female president of the university’s School of Medicine, as the institution’s new VC.
Although the university has not made an official announcement about the appointment, some governing council members confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday night that Ms. Ogunsola topped the list of candidates.
The president of the governing council is ready to announce the winner in short order.
When confirmed, the new appointee, a professor of medical microbiology, who was the 13th chancellor of the medical school when he was appointed, will also be the university’s 13th vice chancellor.
The new VC will take over from outgoing 12th Vice Foreign Minister Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who was appointed in 2017 on November 12.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with this newspaper on Friday, shortly after her interview with the selection board, Ms. Ogunsola thanked God and the people for believing in her ability to lead “one of the largest academic institutions in Africa”. .
She said that, if appointed, she would lead an inclusive administration and that everyone would be counted in the decision-making processes.
Earlier on Monday, the chairman of the governing council hinted that the new VC would be appointed on Friday.
Speaking at an event to mark the institution’s 60th anniversary, the governing council president said that whoever emerges as deputy foreign minister would be chosen by God. He said that he would provide a level playing field for all interested parties.
PREMIUM TIMES also reported that six other teachers along with Ms. Ogunsola were shortlisted for the final interview that took place on Friday.
They are Abayomi Akinyeye from the Department of History, Faculty of Arts; Mathew Ilori and Adeyinka Adekunle both from the Department of Microbiology and Botany of the Faculty of Sciences; Imran Smith, Faculty of Law; Timothy Nubi, Department of Wealth Management, School of Environmental Sciences, and Ayo Olowe, Department of Finance, School of Management Sciences.
UNILAG will be prepared for the future- Ogunsola
Ms. Ogunsola said that the fourth industrial revolution is here in the world, but Nigeria has lagged behind. So, she said, if appointed, her administration would focus on reorganizing the way students are trained “so they can be problem solvers and future-ready entrepreneurs.”
Ms. Ogunsola, who promised to implement an open door policy, said that not only students would be prepared for the future, but also their teachers and non-academic staff.
ALSO READ: UNILAG SSANU, NASU boo union leaders, vow to continue strike
She said: “Now we must be ready to produce graduates with agile minds who would be ready for the fourth industrial revolution that is already here with us. And to achieve this, we must invest in the faculty.
“Since financing is key, we will make sure that in addition to growing people, we also grow our finances while implementing the technology to compete globally.”
She also thanked God for making her “break the ceiling” after 60 years of the university’s existence, saying her feat is proof that Nigerian women are ready for the new
About Mrs. Ogunsola
Folasade Ogunsola is Professor of Medical Microbiology and Consultant in Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital.
Born in 1958, Ms Ogunsola has a PhD in Medical Microbiology (University of Wales Medical School, Cardiff), an MSc in Medical Microbiology with distinction (University of Lagos), a Diploma in Biomedical Techniques (Lagos Medical School, the University of Wales, Cardiff), and an MB.ChB (University of Ife).
He is a Fellow of the UK Royal College of Pathologists, a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians, a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Pathology, a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy Foundation. of Medicine and the Academy of Medicine Specialties.
Ms. Ogunsola served as Acting Vice-Chancellor (August-November 2020) and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Development Services at the University of Lagos.
Prior to that, she had served as the Chancellor of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lagos for four years, making her the first woman to hold that position.
She is the Chairman of the Board, Tetfund South West Academic Publishing Center and the only one of seven that has been able to start operations to date.
In research areas, he has collaborated with the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and Chicago Northwestern University in the area of HIV, Ebola, and capacity building, particularly through the Building Research and Innovation in Nigeria’s Science grant ( BRAINS).
She is also a reviewer for several scientific academic journals and an external examiner for many universities, including Kuwait University. She has been a consultant to the World Health Organization since 2009, where she chairs various committees.
She was in the Congo during the Ebola outbreak and was the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team leader during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria. Most recently, she was on the Lagos State Task Force established during the recent COVID crisis and is a consultant to the Nigerian Center for Disease Control and the African Center for Disease Control for Infection Prevention and Control. She is also Chair of the WHO Ebola Guidelines Committee and Chair of the African Infection Control Network based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Ms. Ogunsola has received several prestigious awards from local and international organizations and has one hundred and forty-two publications in reputable academic journals and is the co-author of four books.
He has supervised or co-supervised eight doctoral students and 61 master’s students.