UNILAG Senate appoints female professor as new Acting Vice Chancellor

The Senate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has elected the deputy vice-chancellor in charge of development services, Folasade Ogunsola, as the institution’s acting vice-chancellor.

She is the first female to be so appointed in the history of the 58-year-old ivory institution.

Mrs Ogunsola, a professor of medical microbiology and first child of Nigeria’s first professor of Geography, Akin Mabogunje, was also the first female provost of the university’s college of medicine, Idi-Araba.

She defeated her opponent and a deputy vice-chancellor in charge of management services, Ben Oghojafor, with a wide margin. She scored 135 votes as against Oghojafor’s 31 among the senate members.

The senate meeting was held today purposely to appoint an acting VC as instructed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Buhari, who acted in his capacity as the institution’s visitor, had also set up a seven-member visitation panel to look into the crisis rocking the university.

In a statement issued on Friday to announce the President’s recommendations, the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, noted that the panel would be inaugurated by the minister, Adamu Adamu, on Wednesday.

Ahead of the panel’s inauguration, the senate was mandated “to immediately convene to nominate an acting vice-chancellor from amongst its members for confirmation by the governing council.”