By Lillian Okenwa
Her appointment was announced on Friday 7 October 2022 by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) governing council and when Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe’s tenure ended on 11 November 2022, she took over as the first female vice-chancellor in the university’s 60-year history.
Professor Folasade Ogunsola, the 13th vice-chancellor of UNILAG, a first-generation university whose management team now boasts of five as women principal officers is a disease control specialist, with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS. A woman of firsts, she is the first female Provost of the College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL).
Sequel to a crisis and the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, by the Wale Babalakin-led University Council, Ogunsola was appointed Acting Vice Chancellor of the University on 24 August 2020. At the time of her appointment in an acting capacity, she was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services) of the University; a position she held between 2017 and 2021.
Her research interest is in the regulation and management of viral diseases, especially HIV. She is the principal investigator at AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria at the University of Lagos.
Professor Bolanle Olufunmilayo Oboh of the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research) of the University of Lagos. Her election was confirmed at the Statutory Meeting of Council held on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Professor Bolanle Olufunmilayo Oboh is a Professor of Genetics. A Biologist & Plant Scientist by training, she is a specialist in the biodiversity studies of local vegetables, tree crops, and small ruminants, especially goats. She has been on many projects, successfully delivered in many states of Nigeria, some of which are: Compliance Monitoring of Environmental Impacts of Artisanal Mining in Ekiti State for the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and many others.
Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa of the Department of Public Law is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services) of the University of Lagos. Atsenuwa is a Professor of Public Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos. Her teaching and research interests are wide and traverse Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, Human Rights Law, Gender and the Law, Law, and Religion, as well as Health and Migration Law.
Within the legal academia, she is widely respected for her initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between legal academics and legal practice and is acknowledged for her efforts at evolving more development-oriented law degree programmes in terms of content and teaching methodologies. Outside the university system, Professor Atsenuwa has done much to contribute to closing the gap between legal theory and practice and to the advancement of sustainable development in Africa, through her leadership engagements. A member of the Institute of Directors (IOD), she has served on the Boards of several institutions and organisations.
Prof. Yetunde Zaid is the University Librarian at the University of Lagos. She holds a Masters and Ph.D. in Library Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She has over 19 years of professional practice in managing information services to both students and faculty at the University of Lagos. A Fulbright Scholar, she won the African Research Fulbright Scholar program and completed the nine months fellowship at the James S. Coleman Africa Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles in May 2017. Zaid is a member of various professional bodies and is currently Secretary of the Lagos Studies Association, an interdisciplinary and international association of academic and non-academic.
Mrs. Oluwafunmilola Yetunde Adekunle whose appointment was approved as Bursar by UniLag Governing Council on 6 October 2022, joined the services of the University in 2005. Until her appointment was the Deputy Bursar, Treasury. Adekunle, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting from the University of Lagos.
Federal University of Technology (FUTO) Owerri, Imo State
Professor Nnenna Nnannaya Oti, a professor of Soil Science and Environmental Conservation is the eighth substantive Vice-Chancellor of FUTO and the first woman to occupy that seat in 41 years.
Born on 15 November 1958, Nnenna Oti Beat six other candidates for the position and resumed office on 19 June 2021. Prof Oti holds a Bachelor of Agriculture degree (B.Agric) in Soil Science from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN; (First Class Honours), Masters in Soil Science (Soil Biology and Biochemistry Option), UNN; a Postgraduate Diploma in Irrigation Engineering (Distinction) from Catholic University Leuven, Belgium and capped her academic laurels with a Ph.D. in Soil and Environmental Conservation from FUTO.
Prof. Oti with over 34years in academia has had hands-on experience working as a consultant to the government and private sector and at various times in diverse capacities ranging from TETFund, Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority, National Biotechnology Development Agency, etc. She has over 65 academic papers, 40 seminars, and workshop papers, edited a handbook, 50 public lectures, and over 10 technical reports for the Federal government of Nigeria. Prior to her appointment, she was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academics.
Dr. Mrs. Justina Ekere, a Chartered Librarian, emerged as the University Librarian in March 2021 after scaling through a rigorous interview process conducted by the FUTO Management led by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Francis C. Eze. Dr. Ekere who resumed duty on 1st April was until her appointment as Chief Librarian, the Principal Librarian, and Head of the Reference Section, Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). She holds B.Sc. (Hons.), M.L.S, and a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science, all from the UNN. She has professional certifications from notable institutions including the Galilee Institute (GMI). Ekere underwent Professional training at Michigan State University in the U. S. and has equally gone through several other pieces of training in many countries.
Her career progression began in 1997 when she was employed as an Assistant Librarian at the UNN and through diligence, hard work, honesty, and dedication, she has progressed and made a notable mark in the field of Library and Information Science with over twenty-three years of post qualification and cognate experience. Dr. Ekere has to her credit several articles published in highly rated reputable (Impact Factor- rated) International journals. She has also presented papers at numerous National and International conferences.
An author and reviewer, she has also contributed many chapters in highly recommended books as well as indexed works. She has been an adjunct lecturer at several Universities, including Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, Nigeria, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUTH), Enugu, Nigeria and Hezekiah University, Umudi, Nkwere, Nigeria. In 2004, the Governing Board of the American Biographical Institute (ABI) in recognition of her significant accomplishments within, and mastery of library and Information Science, conferred on her GREAT WOMAN OF THE 21ST CENTURY, a title reserved for women whose accomplishments and influence are as a result of their superior dedication and professional integrity on the global map.
Mrs. Helen Onyege Onuoha an Accountant with over 30 years of post-graduation experience in the discipline is the University Bursar. She obtained her Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Business Administration respectively from Morgan State University, Baltimore Maryland USA in 1984 and then went on to obtain an MBA (Master of Business Administration) in Finance from the same university in 1986. She worked in the banking sector for some years, before joining the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in 2001. She headed various units within the Bursary Department of the University before being appointed the University Bursar in April 2018. Prior to her appointment, she was the Deputy Bursar in charge of the Salaries, Advances, and Pensions Unit of the Bursary Department.
Onuoha is a member of several professional bodies including the Chartered Institute of Taxation and the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria. She has attended several conferences and served on many University committees.
