EKO HOT BLOG reports the Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, on Friday said that her administration is poised to enhance the welfare and academic standards of both staff and students of the institution.
The vice-chancellor said this when members of the African Dotcom Limited, a pan-Africa media organisation, paid a courtesy visit to her in Lagos.
L-R: Coordinator, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, Lagos State University, Mr Ademola Adekoya; Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor, Mr Lateef Salami; Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni; Director (Operations), African Dotcom Media Limited, Dr Olabisi Deji-Folutile; Personal Assistant to the VC, Mrs Fatimo Ogunniyi; Online Editor, African Dotcom Media Limited, Mr Jesusegun Alagbe; and Principal Assistant Registrar, VC’s Office, Dr Lateef Shekoni, during African Dotcom Media Limited’s courtesy visit to LASU VC, on Friday. Photo: AFDML
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Unveiling some of her plans for the school, Olatunji-Bello, said that one of the primary goals of her administration is to rebrand and upgrade the university to international standards.
The vice-chancellor, also said many of her projects would be geared towards making it easier for students to run flexible academic schedules, and empower them with viable skills that would aid them to start up their own companies, instead of looking for jobs after they graduate.
This online media platform recalls that Prof Olatunji-Bello assumed office as the second female and ninth vice-chancellor of LASU on 16 September 2021.
She said, “I want to replicate what I’ve seen at other acclaimed foreign universities in LASU. We want LASU to be the number one reference point for other schools in Nigeria and Africa.
“And we are already on course to achieving that, because recently we hosted delegates from two state universities, Delta and Gombe, who came to see and learn more about our blended learning system.
“We have invested and still investing heavily in ICT so that our students can have their lectures at any place without coming to their classes.
“Then, we have introduced a 50 per cent refund to students that have shown diligence in their studies. This move is to reward excellence and to breed healthy competition among students.
“We’re also running a work-study programme for our indigent students. This welfare programme is to help them train and fend for themselves through school.”
Olatunji-Bello said the institution has established and is establishing various small-scale businesses including a bakery, table water factory, and car upholstery factory, where students can work to earn a living while also generating internal revenue for the school.
“We are also seeking partnerships with big companies, and small and medium scale enterprises for them to employ our students on a part-time basis,” she said.
Fostering peace
On forestalling peace among the various parties in the university, the vice-chancellor disclosed that a reconciliatory committee had been raised to unify everyone.
“Our administration doesn’t want the peace of the graveyard in LASU. So we have created a reconciliatory platform to calm frayed nerves and settle our differences,” she added.
The Executive Director (Operations) of African Dotcom Media Limited, Dr Olabisi Deji-Folutile, earlier in her address, congratulated Olatunji-Bello on her appointment and highlighted the need for Nigerian institutions to start marketing themselves to the world.
She noted that Nigeria has many great universities that can compete with their counterparts in other parts of the globe, but sadly, foreign institutions know how to market themselves better to attract Nigerian students for studies. She encouraged Nigerian institutions to spend resources on marketing aimed at the internationalisation of education.
“No matter what good plans a leader has and whatever achievements they make, if there is no coverage and publicity, it would appear as if they are doing nothing,” Deji-Folutile said. “Many leaders make that mistake – when they don’t pay much attention to publicising their work through the media.”
Cornell University offers programmes in LASU in new collaboration
Revealing some of her moves to internationalise LASU, Olatunji-Bello said the university has partnered with Cornell University, a private Ivy League and statutory land-grant research university in New York.
“Graduates of the programme will get an international certificate from Cornell University. This will cut the huge costs of travelling overseas to pursue a degree or widen your horizons research-wise and culturally,” the vice-chancellor said, adding that LASU is also in talks with other foreign universities.
In this regard, Olatunji-Bello said LASU has a robust ICT infrastructure in place to run courses digitally. She added that with technology, the university now offers a virtual tour to anyone from across the world. She said the feature is available on the LASU website twice daily, morning and evening.
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