University of Lagos

History

UNILAG was founded in 1962, two years after the independence of Nigeria from Britain. It was one of the first five universities created in the country, now known as "first generation universities". Eni Njoku was appointed as the first black vice-chancellor of the university in 1962, and he remained in office till 1965 when he was 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.

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.

A visitation panel, created to look into the affairs of the university between 2016 and 2020 detected cases of financial abuses from top officials and ordered the university to close accounts with commercial banks.

Folasade Ogunsola is the current Vice Chancellor and the first female to be such in the history of the school. She was appointed on 7 October 2022 and assumed office on 12 November 2022.

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. The University of Lagos is one of the twenty-five federal universities which are overseen and accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

A recent publication of Forbes magazine ranked the school as the third best university in Africa for entrepreneurship after University of Cape Town and Makerere University, tagging University of Lagos the "startup powerhouse" college for Nigerian students.

The University has been called "The university of first choice and the nation's pride." 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(LUTH). On 29 June 2020, the university received robots, CRZR, from platform capital as a donation to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Affiliate institutions and colleges

Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management (CEBCEM)

The centre, established in April 2018, focuses on biodiversity management, conservation and monitoring of sustainable ecosystem through collaborative research. CEBCEM provides a platform for research and education for students of tertiary institutions as well as advocate for environmental awareness. The Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management is the response of the University of Lagos to the threat of biodiversity in Nigeria. This response includes proposing local solutions to biodiversity conservation challenges which is facilitated through institution research grants such as TETfund.

Administration and leadership

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

Vice-Chancellors

Professor Eni Njoku: 1962–1965

Professor Saburi Biobaku: 1965–1971

Professor Jacob F. Adeniyi Ajayi: 1972–1978

Professor Babatunde Kwaku Adadevoh: 1978–1980

Professor Akinpelu Oludele Adesola: 1981–1988

Professor Nurudeen Oladapo Alao: 1988–1995

Professor Jelili Adebisi Omotola: 1995–2000

Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo Obe: Ag, 2000–2002; 2002–2007

Professor Tolu Olukayode Odugbemi: 2007–2010

Professor Babatunde Adetokunbo Sofoluwe: 2010–2012

Professor Rahmon Ade Bello: 2012–2017

Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe: 2017–2022

Professor Folasade Ogunsola: 2022–present

Notable alumni, faculty and staff

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 Prize laureate and one Pulitzer Prize laureate have been affiliated with University of Lagos as students, alumni, faculty, or staff.

Notable faculty

Grace Alele-Williams

Solomon Babalola

J. P. Clark

Lazarus Ekwueme

Akinsola Olusegun Faluyi

Marita Golden

Karen King-Aribisala

Olufemi Majekodunmi

Yemi Osinbajo

Oyeleye Oyediran

Ken Saro-Wiwa

Wole Soyinka

Notable alumni

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

Wande Abimbola, yoruba professor.

Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola , recycler in Nigeria.

Olusola Jegede, lawyer and auther

Niyi Adebayo, first executive governor of Ekiti State and former minister of industry, trade and investment.

Oladipupo Olatunde Adebutu, Nigerian politician.

Olamilekan Adegbite, minister of mines and steel development.

Wale Adenuga, publisher and film producer.

Ayo Aderinwale, Nigerian diplomat.

Kola Adesina, Nigeraian businessman

Kunle Adeyemi, principal of NLÉ, an architecture, design and urbanism firm, Amsterdam.

Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, author and educator.

Adedayo Clement Adeyeye, Nigerian journalist and politician.

Gbenga Adeyinka, Nigerian actor, comedian, radio and TV presenter.

Ernest Afiesimama, Nigerian climate scientist.

Osh Agabi, bioengineer and entrepreneur

Goddy Jedy Agba

Mercy Aigbe, actress, director, fashionista and businesswoman.