The Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has said that the institution has been able to attract research grant of N17 billion during his tenure.

Ogundipe said this at the UNILAG Law Alumni event; “The Great Homecoming” which held on Feb.12 at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to him, no other university in the country can boast of achieving such an amount for research purposes within fours years.

“To the glory of God within four years we have been able to get research grant of over N17 billion which no other university can boast of achieving.

“I would like to be remembered as a man who emptied himself to improve on what he found on ground when I came in as vice chancellor, UNILAG,” he said.

The vice-chancellor however, appealed to alumni of the Faculty of Law for sponsorship to improve on the facilities so as to make learning more conducive and accessible especially to the physically challenged.

He said that the building at the faculty which was established since 1962 needed to be renovated, build additional block that will make provision for elevator for the physically challenged.

“In the years that I have spent as the vice chancellor of UNILAG, we have been to get more support from the friends of the university than the alumni.

“A friend of the university spent over N200 million to improve on the Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) facility.

“We have been talking to the alumni of the Faculty of Law for us to have an elevator to take the physically challenged students to the top floor but we are yet to get support,” he said.

Ogundipe, a botanist, challenged the alumni to improve on existing facilities so that everyone including the physically challenged can have easy access to the top floors.

“I believe that we should be able to add another building to the faculty as well as provide a lift for people soon given the calibre of people that the faculty has produced.

“UNILAG can be like Harvard and Cambridge if it can get support from it’s alumni in terms of development of infrastructure and improving on academics and research,” he said.

Also speaking, the Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Ige Bolodeoku, said that in terms of demography, the faculty has about 2000 students and 57 members of academic staff.

“17 of these staff are professors, six of them are associate professors, 13 are senior lecturers, 7 are lecturer 1 and 14 as lecturer II.

“The faculty is doing a wonderful work in terms of succession and I am confident that even when the present crop of professors leave, we have others that will take over from them.

“The faculty can boast of the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, as alumni among many ministers, SANs and excellences of the state,” he said.

Therefore, the dean appealed to the alumni for a new building in the faculty to accommodate the growing number of students and staff for a better conducive learning atmosphere.

The University of Lagos distributed a total 104 ipads (tablets) to indigent and visually challenged students during its matriculation ceremony on Friday in Lagos.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, while distributing the ipads, said the essence was to ensure that every student was carried along in the area of online learning.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dr Jim Ovia, the Founder/ Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc had at university’s 51st convocation, donated a total of 3,500 tablets (iPad) to support indigent students for their online learning.

The donation came in response to the pleas by the vice chancellor, for support to over 1000 indigent students at the university.
Giving a breakdown of the distribution, Ogundipe said that 50 of the ipads were being given to indigent students, while 54 were for visually impaired students.
He said that the university would continue to give more of the device to identified indigent and other students, whenever the need arose.

Ogundipe noted that meeting the academic needs of every student of the institution had been one of his administration’s core mandates.
According to him, management of the university will continue to do all within its power, in providing a level playing field for academic excellence for all students.
“It is our duty to strive to enable the disadvantaged to access education, especially in this era of technology.
“We are glad that this is coming at the right time and that is why we will waste no time in ensuring that those who truly deserve this are given promptly for maximum use.

“We have a total of 3500 indigent students, but some of them have already graduated.
“A total of 3,500 of the tablets were donated by Dr Jim Ovia. So, what we have now done is to deploy some of the tablets, precisely 500 of them, to the library for students use.
“Those who want to use them could go there, borrow and use for about two weeks and return them, after proper documentation, just like somebody going to the library to borrow books.

“This practice will equally go a long way to assist the students access education in any field, as well as enhance their performance, because of course, as we all know, not everyone can afford these gadgets ,” Ogundipe said.
The VC said that over 50,000 candidates applied for placements in the university for the academic session, but only 11,885 of them were eventually admitted.
“You know the admission was in two phases. The total admitted 8,038 for the 70 per cent for the 2020/2021 academic session, and 3,847 for the remaining 30 per cent to complete the cycle,” he stated.
On measures put in place to check the issue of drug abuse in the institution, the professor of Botany said that the university had zero tolerance for such vice.

” It has been a practice in this university to ensure that all students that are admitted here, during their registration, are also screened for drug abuse.
“We have been doing that in the last three years. And those that deserve counseling, we direct them to the university counselors to counsel them. This year is not an exception,” he stated.
Earlier, while admonishing the newly admitted students, Ogundipe urged them to be focused, dedicated and determined, to make their future bright.
He said that they must strive to give their best at all times, in a bid to come out better and make not just themselves and their parents proud, but the university and the nation at large.
“You must be of the best behaviour, as you embark on this your journey to seek academic excellence.
“You have come here to conquer. You must see yourselves as people that will take dominion, that will control the economy and the political space of this country in future,” Ogundipe stated.

On his part, Mr Dennis Olisa, Executive Director, Zenith Bank PLC, who was also at the event to represent Dr Jim Ovia, said the essence of the donation of the tablets was to give back to the society.
Olisa, who spoke on his capacity as an executive director of the bank, noted that for any meaningful progress to be achieved in any aspect of life’s endeavour, there must be collaboration.
“I came here today to represent Dr Jim Ovia, the Founder/Chairman, Zenith Bank PLC and also in my capacity as the executive director of the bank.

“The only reason why we are doing this is just to give back to the society.
“Whether you like it or not, for the mere fact that we are all standing, we are all alive and we are all breathing, we owe a duty to ourselves and also the society, to see how we can help one another.
“We have a slogan where I come from, that says; each one, help each one. That is why we are doing what we are doing.

“Zenith Bank has been there for a very long time, we are here to stay and we believe that we are also part of this community. Students that have graduated from this institution work with Zenith Bank.
“Quite a number of us also look up to UNILAG for a number of things, refresher courses, postgraduate degree training and a host of others.
“We are part of the entire society and we believe that we can look out for each other, see what we can do to help each other and that is why we did it,” Olisa said.

The Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has assured that adequate security arrangement had been put in place to host the upcoming 26th Nigerian Universities Games (NUGA) on the campus.
The games have been scheduled to hold from March 16 to March 22, 2022.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the games was initially scheduled to hold in 2020, but was halted, following the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
NUGA is a biennial university games that brings together all the universities in the country together to compete in various sporting activities.

Ogundipe told newsmen at Unilag on Tuesday that no fewer than 300 CCTV cameras, among other security measures, would be put in place within and around the campus to effectively monitor activities while the competition lasted.
“There is no perfect system in the world. Having said this, I want to say that we are mindful of the current security challenges facing us as a people currently.
“However, we want to reassure every participating and non participating persons, within and around the university community of their safety, God helping us.

“We are working seriously on the issue of security, to ensure a successful hosting here in Akoka, Yaba and Idi-Araba. We will be complimenting that with our own internal security network and the police.
“Let me state here too that the game is not all about UNILAG, but about the entire state and the country at large, as both the state governor and the Minister for Youth and Sports, are interested,” he stated.
Ogundipe added that sports remained a centripetal force uniting the country, even when other forces including ethnic, religious, linguistic differences as well as political persuasions and other socio-cultural barriers, strained its unity.

According to him, about 136 universities across the country, with a total of 10,000 student athletes and officials, are expected to participate in the games.
He added that 17 sporting events were expected to be competed for during the games, including Basketball, Badminton, Football, athletics, Squash, Karate, among others.
The vice chancellor added that all the sporting facilities in the university were currently undergoing massive renovation and reconstruction to international standards.

“This will enable us to showcase to the world, the talents of Nigerian athletes, as well as enable the various sports managers identify talents for future national and international competitions.
“We also intend to ensure that only bonafide students of Nigerian universities participate in the games, through rigorous and transparent accreditation processes and unbiased officiating,” he said.
The vice chancellor added that the university would relaunch ‘KADDI’, the games mascot and ignite the Torch of Unity on Friday, Nov. 26.

Mr Idris Olorunnimbe, Project Lead, for the UNILAG NUGA 2022, said the aim of the games, aside creating a platform for unity, was also to harvest talents among Nigerian youths in the various sports.
He said this, if achieved, would go a long way in restoring the glory years of the country’s sports development.
Also speaking, Mr Larry Izamoje, CEO, Brilla Sports, said every sporting event was a media event, hence the need for massive media coverage and support before, during and after the games.
“We are very many here. And for us all, let’s not just make it a one off event. Please, let us make this massive and keep it alive,” he said.

The University of Lagos’s waterfront is in need of urgent adequate shoreline protection as its ageing perimeter fence has collapsed, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said on Wednesday,
Ogundipe made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
“The rains that Lagos and its environs have experienced possibly due to the impact of climate change and subsequent higher-than-normal discharge of the rivers emptying into the lagoon, possibly led to the collapse of the already aging perimeter fence and embankment with imminent security issues and attendant ecological pertubations.
“In the morning of yesterday, Oct. 19, the chief security officer of the university called my attention to the sad development.
“We quickly rushed there to carry out an on-the-spot assessment of the collapsed perimeter fence on the waterfront.
Ogundipe appealed to the Federal Government to urgently come to the aid of the university in that regard.
“We need reconstruction of the embankment,” he pleaded,” he told NAN.
According to the vice-chancellor, the waterfront of the university is subjected to wave actions and coastal erosion which are associated with risks of land loss, damage to coastal infrastructure and flooding.
He said that the university had maintained an embankment on the shoreline and waterfront serving as perimeter fencing and ensuring that coastal erosion and occasional flooding were addressed.
“The Lagos lagoon is part of the lagoon complex which comprises a network of nine lagoons namely: Yewa, Ologe, Badagry, Iyagbe, Lagos, Kuramo, Epe, Lekki, and Mahin, stretching from the Republic of Benin.
“It lies behind the barrier beach and extends for 210km along the coast.
“The Lagos Lagoon is, on the average, about two to four metres in depth, but it is 10 metres deep at the entrance at the Commodore Channel around the Lagos Harbor, which empties the lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean,” he noted.
He added that the Lagos lagoon was bound in the south by the five cowrie creeks, in the Eastern flank by the Palavar Islands, the northern end by Ikorodu, and on the western border, by mainland communities.
Ogundipe said that the Lagos lagoon waterfront with usefulness as a tourism resource is considered a major artery in the water transportation architecture of Lagos metropolis.
“In this light, the university of Lagos waterfront has already been earmarked for construction of a jetty by the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“The lagoon is flanked by tidal wetlands and swamps.
“This comprises of the waterfront, known as university of Lagos Waterfront, shorelines of Ilaje-Bariga and shorelines of Makoko community,” Ogundipe said.
He added water from the Atlantic Ocean moved into the lagoon during high tides and receded during low tides.
According to him, it is affected by a powerful longshore drift and also fed by several rivers such as Ogun,Ona/Ibu, Oshun, Shasha and Oni.

Security network at the University of Lagos, Akoka, is getting more robust as it has got a marine police station and 1,000 CCTV cameras.

A technology company, Bionomics Nig. Ltd., on Thursday donated the 1,000 Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as part of its contributions to improved security.

The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the university on the project on Thursday in Lagos.

Its Managing Director, Mr Ugochukwu Onyedika, said at the event that there was the need to step up efforts in tackling security challenges in the country through deployment of technologies.

Onyedika said that the objective of the project was to further strengthen the security architecture of UNILAG.

“We are delivering 1,000 CCTV cameras across the three campuses of this university.

“It is a very innovative model, in the sense that the institution is not required to commit any funds.

“On the poles where we are going to be installing these cameras, we are also going to install digital advertising screens; that way, we are also going to deliver embedded revenue through advertising on campus.

“We have got thousands of students here as well as thousands of people that pass through this university every day, so that way, we can generate revenue and also deliver services to the institution,” he said.

He added that there would be a lot of analytics.

“We will keep information such as how many people come into the university, as well as show facial recognition.

“If you do something bad, the university can fish you out easily.

“For us, the university of Lagos provides the best spring board; we we are going to extend this gesture to other schools because we believe that security in Nigeria must be revolutionised, but we have to take it one step at a time,” he said.

The managing director gave the assurance that the project would be flagged off by December.

The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, described the partnership as laudable.

“I am happy that today, part of the vision that God gave me concerning the University of Lagos to improve on its security architecture, is coming to reality.

“Look at the marine side of the institution, we have a newly-constructed marine police that is stationed there; this is now an addition to what we have here.

“Having about 1,000 cameras in the three campuses that we have, goes a long way,” he said.

Ogundipe expressed delight that Bionomics was collaborating with UNILAG.

“It is going to be a win-win situation, a kind of symbiotic relationship, and UNILAG will be benefitting financially from it.

“It is not just bringing these CCTV cameras alone, we are also going to have adverts running on the poles, and we have agreed on what to do concerning that,” Ogundipe said.

According to him, students will also benefit from the projects, as there will be free Wi-Fi around the poles, which they can use to access lectures.

He said that the CCTV cameras would cover students hostel and every other place on campus.

“On the main campus alone, we are going to have 700 of these CCTV cameras. At the Idi Araba and Yaba campuses (College of Medicine and Radiography) respectively, we are going to have 300.

“Everything will be connected to the main platform here,” Ogundipe said.

Prof. Obinna Chukwu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), commended the company for the gesture which, he said, worth celebrating.

He said that the technology would assist the university in crime prevention and forensic analysis.

“These are high definition cameras that will assist in face recognition, even if you have tribal marks.

“These cameras will also be deployed at the exit spots of the university that will capture all the plate numbers of vehicles coming in and going out of the university,” he added

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Toyin Ogundipe, has explained why it has not suspected Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Super TV founder, Usifo Ataga.

According to him, she is a student of the institution.

He, however, said she had not been suspended because the process had to follow some process.

Commenting on the matter while briefing journalists about UNILAG’s upcoming convocation, Ogundipe said:

“From our records which are available to us, Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu is a student of the University of Lagos who was born on December 12, 1999.

“From our records, she is from Abia State. From our records, her contact address is 57, Akinwumi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos.

“From our records, her next of kin is Mr Onoh Ojukwu. She is a student of this great university whether she is a part-time or full-time student. Her matriculation number is 170912015.

“The university is handling the administrative aspect of the issue,” he said.

Cat-with-nine-lives Vice- Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and another botanist, Dr Temitope Onuminya, have won 2021 Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) grants.

Mrs Nonye Oguama, a Principal Assistant Registrar, Corporate Affairs of the institution, made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.
According to Oguama, the awards are part of the 2021 Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) programme, funded by the European Union.
Ogundipe, a Professor of Botany, won a national level grant of 38,000 euros for his project proposal: “Implementation of the Biodiversity Information and Data System for Coastal Ecosystem in Nigeria”.
Onuminya, on the other hand, won an institutional level grant of 18,850 euros for implementation of a BID project proposal: “Expanding the Visibility of the Lagos Herbarium through Digitisation and Mobilisation of Plant Specimen Data”.

“The university of Lagos is rejoicing with them (mentor and mentee) and wishes them successful implementation of their proposals,” Oguama said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the GBIF, an international organisation with Secretariat in Copenhagen, focuses on making scientific data on biodiversity available through the internet.
It provides human resources and technical infrastructure enabling publication of and access to large volumes of data gathered over centuries about the earth’s species.
Ogundipe was, months back, in the eye of the storm as he battled to retain his position.

He however came out clean of allegations by the university’s former Council.

He was thus recalled from suspension by the Federal Government.

Pastor of the Mountain of Fire Ministry, D. K. Olukoya, has said that he has prayed for many people who have coronavirus.

This, he said, was an indication that the pandemic was real.

He, therefore. enjoined Nigerians to take the pandemic seriously, urging them to obey protocols being given by the government and health authorities.

He said, “Some people still don’t believe that it exists. But, I am a man of God and I have prayed for so many people with the same infirmity. I know that it exists; so we should not joke with it.
”There is, therefore, the need for people to adhere strictly to all the guidelines and protocols as rolled out by NCDC and more importantly, we should pray that this pandemic goes away.”

Olukoya stated this on Monday on the sidelines of the unveiling of the newly-renovated University of Lagos Senate House foyer and reception, which he donated to the institution.
According to the cleric, the disease is real and our people must accept this. The first thing is to convince the populace that COVID-19 is real.
On the education sector in Nigeria, Olukoya stressed the need for the system to be tailored towards youth empowerment.
”I want to see an education system that will promote the lives of youths and also educate people, not only physically, but spiritually and mentally so that they can cope with their environment,” he stated.
The general overseer called on Nigerians to uphold righteousness in the new year in order to raise the bar of the country.
”We should seek to be righteous, hardworking and do unto others what we will like them to do unto us,” he said.
Speaking at the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said that the foyer would change the ambience of the senate building.
”If you look at the senate building, you will find out that it is the signature of the university.
“Anywhere you get to all over the world, they see the signature, and with this improvement that has been brought into place, it will make the place more appreciated,” he said.
On plans being put in place for resumption of academic activities, following the suspension of strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the COVID-19 pandemic, Ogundipe said that the institution’s senate would follow due process.
”We like following due process. We cannot announce resumption without having senate meeting.
”We are going to have the meeting very soon. We have already come up with a proposal which we are going to send to senate for approval.
”Very soon, we will make announcement in that regard in the next three weeks,” the vice chancellor said.

The Governing Council of the University of Lagos and its Senate appear to have renewed the war between them despite President Buhari’s last week’s intervention.

The President, via a visitation intervention, asked the Council Chairman, Dr Wale Babalakin, and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, to step aside while the Senate should appoint another acting VC to replace the one the Council appointed.

A fresh trouble reared its head after the Senate made a move to make the replacement.

Senate members were on Sunday asked to sign up document to convene the emergency meeting on Monday.

The notice  read:  “Dear Senate Member, Sequel to the Directive of *The* Visitor to the Senate of the University, members of Senate (who at this time are Professors only) are requested to sign up the request to convene an Emergency Meeting of Senate on Monday, 24th August, 2020.

“The sign up documents are available at the under-listed locations on Campus between 10am and 6pm today, *Sunday* 23rd August 2020.

Senate Foyer, Senate Building.Admin Block, CMUL Idi-Araba

However, in a swift reaction, the Council through the Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, Oladejo Azeez, in another notice to all senate members on Sunday, said the council was yet to summon any meeting of the senate.

The council also asked the members to await proper notice of the meeting after the Federal Government must have clarified some issues germane to the meeting,

The notice from the council read: “Notice to all Senate Members. This is to inform all Senate Members that no meeting of Senate has been summoned.

“Members should await proper Notice of Meeting after the Federal Government of Nigeria has clarified some issues germane to the meeting. Thank you.”

Tobi Ijalana

The Federal Government has asked the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Dr Wale Babalakin; and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, to step down.

It announced this on Friday, saying they should do so pending the outcome of a Visitation Panel it has set up.

The panel is headed by Prof. Tukur Sa’ad.

Meanwhile, the FG has asked the University Senate to reconvene and choose another Acting Vice Chancellor, suggesting that it wants a replacement for Prof Theophelus Soyombo, whom the Babalakin-led Council had earlier appoinyed.

The development, which followed a bitter disagreement between Babalakin and Ogundipe, was announced in a press statement signed by the Federal Ministry of Education spokesman, Ben Goong.

“Government also directs the Senate of the University of Lagos to immediately convene to nominate an acting Vice-Chancellor from amongst its members for confirmation by the Governing Council,” the statement added.

Babalakin’s Governing Council had, on August 12, sacked Ogundipe as Vice-Chancellor over alleged financial misappropriation and misconduct.

Ogundipe, however, rejected the Council’s decision, saying the University’s due process had not been followed.

The Presidential Panel, made up of seven members, is expected to determine whether the required steps were taken by the Council in sacking Ogundipe.

They are also expected “to make appropriate recommendations including sanctions for all those found culpable” in the investigation, which is expected to last for two weeks.

The panel will be inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on August 26.