UNILAG celebrates 60, restates commitment to quality education, research 

• Launches $500 million endowment fund project
As the University of Lagos (UNILAG) celebrates 60 years, the management of the institution has restated its commitment to quality education and research to ensure that it delivers on the mandate of its founding fathers.

At the event tagged ‘Touchdown at the root,’ which was held at the College of Medicine, Idi Araba, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Senator Olanrewaju Tejuosho, expressed regrets over the prolonged industrial action by university teachers, saying this caused the celebration to be marked with consciousness of the strike currently rocking public universities.

“We celebrate with mixed feelings as we note the sad fact that our academic staff have been on strike for more than seven months and the non-academic staff went on strike for about five months.

“Fortunately, I understand that the 60th anniversary was always planned to be a year-long celebration, so, we trust that the students will soon join us and pick up from where we are,” he said.

He explained that to address the dire infrastructural challenges facing the university, the management has concluded plans to launch a $500m endowment fund, which will be used to fund research and global scholarship.

He, however, urged the university alumni, family and friends of the institution to support it in getting the fund.

Earlier, the outgoing vice chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, commended the management for standing by him in actualising his ambition for the university.

He noted that at 60, the population of students that used to be 150 in 1965 is now 62,000.

He explained that despite the ongoing strike in public institutions, UNILAG has been running international programmes for over 200 students across Africa.

Ogundipe also said during his tenure, lecturers were able to win over N19b research grants for the institution.

In his goodwill message, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi, who is the school’s chancellor, reiterated his support and commitment to the university.

He expressed joy over the peaceful and cordial relationship existing between the management and students.