UNILAG Attracts  N11.5bn Research Grant, Undertakes Redesign of Academic Programmes

Funmi  Ogundare

Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos ( UNILAG), Akoka, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, yesterday, disclosed that the institution is currently undertaking major redesign of some of its academic programmes in Architecture, Creative Arts and Mass Communications and establishing them as stand-alone faculties to foster growth in the fields and produce future-ready graduates.

She also added that the university has continued to forge ahead in research and has attracted a total research grants worth over N11, 511, 906, 630.20.

Prof. Ogunsola who made this known while giving her scorecard at a media parley, explained that the redesign was in response to industry needs and emergent global standards.

According to her, “We are guided by the CCMAS prescriptions, but I am bold to say that we are also self-driven undertaking some of the restructuring by unbundling our programmes. Our aim is to ensure that we offer the best to our students and ensure we deliver on our mandate to produce future-ready graduates.”

She gave a breakdown of the research grants worth N228,386,139.50, £161,763.00, $8,777,466.62 and €493,890.00 respectively, saying “various faculty have been recognised for research studies. Prof. Njideka Okubadejo led a Nigeria research network working with other researchers globally that identified a gene that increases the risk for Parkinson’s disease in African populations. Bill Gates visited the Centre for Clinical Trials, Research and Implementation Science (CCTRIS) at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.”

UNILAG, the VC stated,  was recently selected as one of the university beneficiaries of a professorial Chair Endowment Fund worth N30,000,000. by National Communication Commission ( NCC).

“The endowment is to enhance focused-research activities and improve the quality of industry-ready graduates produced by the university in telecommunications and Social Sciences, areas that greatly impact the activities of the commission and telecom industry.

“We are recording significant collaborations with other global players in the higher education sector with significant and visible in research and other academic collaborations. Notable among these are the evolving partnerships with Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, University of Dundee, Kansas State University, University of Alabama and NIHR, among others. 

“Out of these, we have been able to enhance student and staff mobility, research collaborations to respond to shared and global challenges.”

Ogunsola stated that the institution’s efforts at advancing contributions to industry development in the country, culminated in the strengthening of collaboration with Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO) and has resulted in the senate-approved Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Hydrographic Surveying. 

“We have also partnered with LASEMA in Disaster Management to train the UNILAG fire service personnel, and with input from industry through this collaboration, we have redesigned the curriculum of the Masters in Disaster Management (MDM). We have also signed partnership agreements with Institute of Directors, Nigeria,” the VC stressed.

She however stated that the university is challenged in the areas of staff housing, funding and security saying, “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 with a view to creating 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, will be complemented with government support to improve the situation soon.

” We are beginning to experience unprecedented threats to the security of university property. In this year, 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.”