At a media briefing discussing her office’s accomplishments in 2023, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, highlighted that the University is battling housing, funding, and security as significant hurdles.
Prof. Ogunsola emphasized that staff housing posed a major challenge, and funding constraints continued to impact the university’s ability to enhance the quality of education provided.
She maintained that in 2023, UNILAG experienced incessant attacks on its property.
Ogunsola said, “Housing of staff is one of our major challenges. We have striven to democratise the procedures for the allocation of all accommodation including Boys Quarters on campus. We are also engaging in remodelling of some of the structures housing staff residences to create more spaces to alleviate the housing challenges that many of our staff face. One of our strategies is to adapt the bigger duplexes to two-bedroom flats.
“Funding remains a challenge to optimising quality education delivery, but we are not relenting in our efforts. We are hopeful that our initiatives, some of which we have highlighted above, will be complemented with government support to improve the situation soon.
“I must note that we are beginning to experience unprecedented threats to the security of university property. In 2023, we experienced incessant attacks on university property but I will say that the combined efforts of our security agents and the Nigerian Police have helped to stem the tide. We will continue to ensure that we keep our campuses safe.”
While speaking on achievements, she said her administration prioritised the renovation and upgrade of old facilities while it also commenced the building of new ones.
Ogunsola explained that “Since assumption of office on the November 14, 2022, we have made steady progress despite the grim economic climate and many disruptions. We were determined to push forward to ensure that the University could grow and deliver on its mandate of teaching, research, and service through the Future-ready agenda that is encapsulated by the four pillars of growth: Growing the Finance, Growing the infrastructure, Growing the Reputation and Growing the Manpower (FIRM). This last year was one of consolidation, seed sowing, and growth which we have achieved by building on our strengths, strengthening and developing new partnerships, and facilitating the creativity and initiatives of staff and students. We have been putting in place the building blocks to make UNILAG FUTURE-READY.
“We recognise that at the University our main function is to develop minds and influence critical and qualitative thinking that will then drive the development we need. We recognise the primal place of our students but we believe also that students can only get qualitative education if we have quality staff who are energised, comfortable, committed, and can self-actualise. Without them, there is no university. They are the University. A considerable part of our strategy is therefore on staff development which we have commenced and encourage.”
Source: Punch
