The Senate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has elected the deputy vice-chancellor in charge of development services, Professor 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.
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.
A total of 167 professors were accredited for voting while one vote was voided. Ogunsola’s election follows the request made by the Visitor to the University, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday 21st August, 2020. Buhari had intervened in a lingering crisis between the Governing Council of the University and its Senate when he ordered the suspension of the Acting Vice Chancellor appointed by the Governing Council, Omololu Soyombo.
The President had also suspended the Wale Babalakin as Pro Chancellor and Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, vice chancellor of the University pending the report of a Visitation panel set up by him.
The special visitation panel to the University of Lagos has as Tukur Saad as chairman. Other members include Victor Onuoha, Ikenna Oyindo, Ekanem Braide, Adamu Usman, Jimoh Bankole and Grace Ekanem.
In her acceptance speech, Mrs Ogunsola, who doubles as the chairperson of Infections Control Africa Network, and member of the Lagos State COVID-19 task force, thanked the professors for entrusting her with what she described as a huge responsibility. She was quoted as saying; “Electing me the acting vice-chancellor at such time the university is going through so much is a big task. But it is a task for all of us, and I appeal to you to help rewrite the story of this great university for good.”
According to her citation on Havard’s website, Ogunsola’s research interest and work centered around the diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance.
She has, for two decades, been involved in raising awareness on Infection Control in Nigeria. She was a founding member of the Nigerian Society for Infection Control in 1998 and has assisted in setting up infection control programmes in institutions around the country.
She is the principal investigator at AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) at University of Lagos. She has also been the chairman of Infection Control Committee of Lagos University Teaching Hospital. She specializes in disease control, particularly HIV/AIDS.
Ogunsola is the immediate past provost of College of Medicine, University of Lagos and is reputed as being the first woman to occupy the position.