University of Lagos

The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university in Lagos, Nigeria. It is one of the five first generation universities in Nigeria and was founded in 1962. It is ranked among the top universities in the world in major education publications. The University presently has three Campuses in the Mainland of Lagos. Whereas two of its Campuses are located in Yaba (the main campus in Akoka and the recently created campus at the former School of Radiography), its College of Medicine is located in Idi-Araba, Surulere.[6] Its main campus is largely surrounded by the Lagos lagoon and has 802 acres of land. The University of Lagos currently admits over 9,000 Undergraduate students annually and enrolls over 57,000 students.

University of Lagos
Lagoon Front, University of Lagos
This article is about a federal government-owned university. For the state-owned institution, see Lagos State University.
Not to be confused with University of Los Lagos.

MottoIn deed and In truth
TypePublic research university
Established1962
ChancellorAlhaji (Dr.) Abubakar IBN Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, The Shehu of Borno
Vice-ChancellorProfessor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe
Academic staff
1,736 (2017)[1]
Administrative staff
552 (2017)[1]
Students55,000 (2017)[1]
Undergraduates43,784 (2017)[1]
Postgraduates9,070 (2017)[1]
Location
Lagos
,
Nigeria

6°31′0″N 3°23′10″E
CampusUrban
ColorsGold and maroon
   
NicknameAkokites
SportsFootball and gymnastics
Websiteunilag.edu.ng
University rankings
Global – Overall
CWUR World[2]1944 (2020)
THE World[3]601–800 (2021)
Regional – Overall
THE Africa[4]20 (2019)
National – Life sciences and medicine
USNWR Medical[5]2 (2020)

History

UNILAG was founded in 1962, two years after Nigerian independence from Britain. It was one of the first five universities created in the country, now known as a "first generation university".[7][8]

The university has educated many notable alumni, eminent scientists, politicians, lawyers, business icons, writers, entertainers, monarchs, countless technocrats, recipients of the Nigerian National order of merit, Fellows of the various learned Academies. As of September 2020, one Nobel laureate and one Pulitzer prize laureate have been affiliated with University of Lagos as students, alumni, faculty, or staff.

Eni Njoku was appointed as the first black Vice-Chancellor of the University, in 1962. He remained in office till 1965, when he was later replaced by Saburi Biobaku. However, due to controversy surrounding his appointment, Saburi was stabbed by Kayode Adams, a student radical who believed Biobaku's appointment was unfair and ethnically motivated.[9]

In 2019, the BBC reported that "Female reporters were sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers at the institutions – all the while wearing secret cameras".[10][11]

Faculty of Science, University of Lagos

From 2017 [12] till date, the vice-chancellor is Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.

Academics and research

The university has remained one of the most competitive in the country in terms of admissions. With approximately 57,000 students as of 2013, the University of Lagos has one of the largest student populations of any university in the country.[13][14] The University of Lagos is one of the twenty-five federal universities which are overseen and accredited by the National Universities Commission.

A recent publication of Forbes magazine ranked the school as the 3rd best university in Africa for entrepreneurship after University of Cape Town and Makariere University, tagging University of Lagos the “startup powerhouse” college for Nigerian students.[15]

The university has been called "the University of First Choice and the Nation's Pride."[16] The university's research activity was one of the major criteria used by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in adjudging the university as the best university in Nigeria at the Nigerian University System Annual Merit Award (NUSAMA) in 2008.

The University of Lagos College of Medicine is associated with Lagos University Teaching Hospital. On the 29th of June, 2020, the university received robots,CRZR, from platform capital as a donation to fight the spread of COVID-19.[17]

Faculties

The university comprises the following:[18]

Faculties
Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences
Faculty of Management Sciences
Faculty of Clinical Sciences
Faculty of Dental Sciences
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Social Science
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Pharmacy

Affiliate Institutes and Colleges

Affiliates include:[19]

  • College of Medicine (CMUL)
  • Distant Learning Institute
  • Institute of Continuing Education
  • Confucius Institute
  • Entrepreneurship and Skill development centre (ESDC)
  • Institute of Maritime Studies
  • Institute of Africa and Diaspora Studies
  • School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS)
  • School of Foundation Studies
  • University of Lagos Business School (ULBS)
  • International School Lagos (ISL)

Unilag FM

An educationally-focused radio station, Unilag FM, is supported by the university and broadcasts throughout Lagos. The station uses the slogan: "Expanding the frontiers of knowledge." It was established in 2004. Unilag operates on the FM 103.1 (MHz) frequency. The radio station is the first campus radio to receive a licence and the first to go on air in 2004.[20]

Administration and Leadership

The current principal members of the university administration and their positions are as follows:

Office holders
Visitor President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari
Pro-Chancellor & Chairman Dr. Wale Babalakin (Resigned)
Chancellor His Royal Highness, The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji (Dr.) Abubakar IBN Umar Garbai El-Kanemi
Vice-Chancellor Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics & Research) Professor Oluwole Familoni
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services) Professor Emukufia A. Oghojafor
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services) Professor Folashade Ogunsola
Registrar Mr. Ismaila Oladejo Azeez
Bursar Mr. Nurudeen Olalekan Ajani Lawal
University Librarian Dr. (Mrs.) Yetunde Abosede Zaid

Halls of Residence

Undergraduate Halls
  • Queen Amina Hall (Female)
  • Professor Saburi Biobaku Hall (Male)
  • Eni-Njoku Hall (Male)
  • Honors Hall (Female)
  • King Jaja Hall (Male)
  • Fagunwa Kofo Ademola Hall (Female)
  • Madam Tinubu Hall (Female)
  • Makama Bida Hall (Female)
  • Mariere Hall (Male)
  • Moremi Hall (Female)
  • Sodeinde Hall (Male)

Postgraduate Halls
  • Sodeinde Hall
  • Erastus Akingbola Hall
  • Henry Carr Hall
  • Kwaku Adadevoh Hall

Notable alumni, faculty and staff
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo of Nigeria is an alumnus of the University of Lagos
Main article: List of University of Lagos people

Notable faculty

Notable alumni
Undergraduates zoologists from the University of Lagos
University of Lagos Lagoon front view from Seaside cottage theatre, Bariga


Amongst the alumni of the University of Lagos, Akoka and other institutions that fall under that banner are:

Renaming proposal

On 29 May 2012, the then President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, proposed to rename the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University in honour of Moshood Abiola, who died in jail as a political prisoner in 1998. The proposed name change became a subject of protests from students and alumni. The proposal was consequently jettisoned as the Nigerian Federal Government gave in to the protests incited by the proposed name change.[34][35][36]

See also

References
  1. "University of Lagos Pocket Statistics" (PDF). University of Lagos. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. "World University Rankings 2019-20". Center for World University Rankings. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  3. "Word University Rankings 2021". Times Higher Education. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  4. "Best universities in Africa". 9 September 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  5. "Best Global Universities for Clinical Medicine". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  6. "About Unilag". University of Lagos. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  7. "Nigerian Education Profile". United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  8. "University of Lagos (1962- ) •". 10 December 2011.
  9. "Saburi Biobaku: Unilag's VC who was stabbed by a student who disagreed with his choice as VC". 4 February 2018.
  10. "'Sex for grades': Undercover in West African universities". BBC News. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  11. "That BBC's sting operation in UNILAG". 15 October 2019.
  12. "Ambode Congratulates New UNILAG VC, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe". 30 October 2017.
  13. The University of Lagos (3 October 2010). "News". Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  14. Demographics. University of Lagos Calendar. ISBN 978-9-78487-120-4.
  15. McCormick, Meghan. "If You Want To Start A Tech-Company In Africa, Go To College". Forbes. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  16. "Introduction". University of Lagos. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  17. "Platform Capital Donates Robots To UNILAG". Geeky Nigeria. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  18. "Unilag Home". University of Lagos. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  19. "Unilag Home". University of Lagos. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  20. WordPress
  21. "The Essential Soyinka Timeline, By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu". Premium Times. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  22. "Stanford Presidential Lectures in the humanities and the arts". Stanford University. 1998. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  23. "Prof. Mrs. Grace Alele Williams OFR, HLR". Hallmarks of Labour Foundation. 28 November 2011. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  24. "John Pepper Clark Bekederemo". The Adaka Boro Centre. 25 March 2012. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  25. Oyeleye Oyediran; Adigun Agbaje (June 1991). "Two-Partyism and Democratic Transition in Nigeria". The Journal of Modern African Studies. University of Cambridge Press. 29 (2): 213–235. doi:10.1017/S0022278X0000272X.
  26. "S. Adeboye Babalola". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  27. "Award from Unilag for 'Master Storyteller,' Wale Adenuga". 14 November 2015.
  28. "Lectured at 23, borrowed to pay school fees... 7 things you didn't know about Osinbajo". 8 March 2017.
  29. "My friends blackmailed me to become accidental hotelier - Otunba Gbenga Daniel". 27 November 2019.
  30. "Unilag VC gives update on convocation as varsity set to graduate 8,000 students". 7 March 2019.
  31. Roberts, Karen B. "Engineering elite: National Academy of Engineering elects UD's Babatunde Ogunnaike". University of Delaware College of Engineering. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  32. "Osinbajo lists illustrious citizens who attended UNILAG". 27 October 2019.
  33. "Omoyele Sowore Biography & Net Worth (Owner of Sahara Reporters)". 6 December 2019.
  34. "Nigeria President renames university after politician who died in jail over a decade ago". The Washington Post. Washington DC, USA. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  35. "Students Protest Jonathan's Renaming of UNILAG". AllAfrica.com. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  36. "Jonathan renames UNILAG, Moshood Abiola University". The Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. 29 May 2012. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
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