Prof. Folasade Ogunsola

The Senate of the University of Lagos, one of Nigeria’s most regarded citadels of learning, has for the first time in the institution’s 58-year history, elected a woman, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola as the Acting  Vice Chancellor.  Significantly, Prof. Ogunsola was also the first woman to be appointed as Provost of the famous College of Medicine of the university.

Ogunsola  won the vote to become Acting Vice Chancellor at at emergency session of the Senate which held on Monday. She defeated her rival, Prof. Ben Ogbojafor by securing 135 votes out of a total of 167 votes.  Ogbojafor had 31 votes.

A distinguished professor of Clinical Microbiology, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola was appointed as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development Services of the university in 2017. At the national level, she has been the Chairman of the National Association of Colleges of Medicine in Nigeria.

Ogunsola’s appointment as Acting Vice Chancellor is expected by members of the university’s community to put paid to the leadership crisis which has rocked  one of the most respected citadels of learning in Nigeria.

The crisis began with the removal from office of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe who was alleged by the Governing Council to have committed financial infractions. Following protests by the Senate and other members of the university that the Governing Council had acted beyond its powers by sacking Ogundipe, President Muhammadu Buhari who is the Visitor to the university instituted a Special Visitation Panel to look into the issues.

Last week, Dr Wale Babalakin who is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, was asked by the Federal Government to recuse himself from his official duties to the instittution. Also asked to suspend his official duties was  Prof. Ogundipe. The government asked them to step aside pending the completion of the work of the Spacial Visitation Panel.