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ASUU, students laud UNILAG VC on achievements after two years in office

By NAN
11 November 2019   |   4:34 pm
ASUU has lauded Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, for his innovation in academics and human capital development on his second anniversary in office

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has lauded Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, for his innovation in academics and human capital development on his second anniversary in office.

Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, National President ASUU, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

The ASUU leader also lauded Ogundipe’s leadership role in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship in his two-year administration.

“The union enjoins him to keep up the good job, remain focused, work within the framework of the laws establishing the university so that he will be seen as a model of transparency, accountability, and openness in the university administration.

“He should be conscious of the fact that Nigerians are expecting much from him, being in charge of a first-generation university,’’ Ogunyemi said.

Some students of the university also spoke with NAN on two years of Ogundipe’s vice chancellorship at UNILAG, describing him as “silent achiever in the area of research and innovation.

“He has done wonderfully well in terms of attracting research grants to the university.

“And this has gone a long way in repositioning the university,” said Mr Musibau Azeez, a Political Science postgraduate student at UNILAG.

Another student, Miss Gabriella Nnoruom of the Department of Mass Communication, also described the vice-chancellor as the ‘man with the golden heart.’

According to her, he is not just a vice-chancellor, but “a father figure and lover of Justice.

“He goes to every length to ensure that everyone is carried along.

“He also ensures that the welfare of students remains paramount at all times. He is down-to-earth and easy to approach. We love his administration.”

Speaking on his second anniversary as vice-chancellor, Ogundipe said that his ultimate goal was getting the institution to rank as one of the best four universities in Africa and the best in Nigeria by 2020

He said that his administration was leveraging on the excellence of staff by encouraging and assisting with a grant for proposal writing.

According to him, the university has, within two years, attracted about N4 billion in research grant, including a $131,146,00 for a Virtual Reality Technology and Mobile Data Collection to improve Newborn Health Care Delivery, among others.

Ogundipe said that agencies, foreign embassies, and international organisations, as well as universities, were in partnership and collaborations with the institution.

Key among these partnerships, he said, was the creation of 100 intercontinental startups with the Carleton University, Canada.

He identified staff homeownership as one of the priorities of his administration.

“For this reason, we are collaborating with Family Homes, an initiative of the Federal Government, to provide homes for staff from grade level 9 and below,” he said.

Ogundipe, a Professor of Botany, assumed office as the 12th vice-chancellor of UNILAG on Nov. 11, 2017.

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