On Friday, October 7, 2022, the University of Lagos in Akoka named its first female Vice Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola.
The appointment is a significant one, not just for UNILAG but also for Nigeria as a whole.
The new Vice Chancellor, who is also a Professor of Medical Microbiology, is taking over from the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe when his term ends in November. Ogundipe’s tenure has been marked by controversy and it is hoped that Ogunsola will be able to bring some stability to the institution.
Ogunsola is a highly respected academic, with a wealth of experience in both teaching and research. Of the seven candidates who were shortlisted for the top job at the institution, Professor Folasade Ogunsola was selected to be the new Vice Chancellor.
She will be the first female Vice Chancellor of UNILAG since it was created 60 years ago.
Let’s take a look at some key things to know about the new Vice Chancellor.
Early life
Professor Folasade Ogunsola was born in 1958 in Ibadan, Oyo State. Her father Akin Mabogunje was a lecturer at the University of Ibadan.
Education
She went on to attend Queens college Lagos and proceeded to the University of Ife, to obtain her first degree between 1974 and 1982.
After that, she got a Master’s degree from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and went on to a doctorate at the University of Wales between 1992 and 1997.
Career
Ogunsola is a recognized Disease Control Specialist, with a focus on HIV/AIDS. She has numerous research areas centred around the regulation and management of viral diseases. The University of Lagos’ AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria is headed by her as the principal investigator.
She’s also a Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Lagos College of Medicine in Idi Araba, Lagos. She has been the chairman of the Infection Control Committee of Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the chairman of the National Association of Colleges of Medicine in Nigeria. Ogunsola also helped found the Nigerian Society for Infection control in 1998.
She was the first woman to be appointed as Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. In 2017, she was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor. In 2020, she was appointed as the Acting Vice Chancellor of UNILAG when Professor Oluwatoyi Ogundipe was removed by the Wale Babalakin-led University Council.
On October 7, 2022, she was named as the next Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos to take over in November on completion of Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe’s tenure.
