By Chika Abanobi

The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, who just clocked one year in office, has revealed the plan of the institution to introduce about 10 additonal programmes in the areas of Tourism and Hotel Management, Local Government Administration and Leadership Programme, Pharmacy, among others.

Fagbohun who listed these as part of his 32-point objectives with timelines, which he presented to the university’s Senate, credited the prevailing atmosphere of peace on the hitherto troubled university to his administration’s transparency and inclusive style.

“We have received the best support from our Visitor, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and every other stakeholder including the state’s House of Assembly, Governing Council, Senate, staff unions and students,” he said. “Therefore, the best way we can reward their trust in us is to offer the best in terms of leadership and administration, and I am very happy that LASU is back on its path to greatness.

“It is also our plan to ensure that the university key into the vision of the Lagos State Government, which is committed to driving development through various forms of innovation. This is why we have resolved to march the government’s desire with our plan to develop adequate manpower for the future, through the creation of additional programmes that will provide jobs for the future of Lagos, Nigeria and Africa by extension.”

The vice-chancellor also added that the new hostel being planned for the university will accommodate between 5,000 and 6,000 students in the first phase while hinting that the foundation stone will likely be laid by the governor between March and April this year.

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“As regards the hostel facilities, it is a vision the governor is committed to,” he stated. “The stage we are now is that our transaction advisers, the PWC, is currently working on the contractors’ selection processes so that both legal and financial due diligence on the contractors will be done. This will ensure that once the contracts are awarded, the contractors will have no excuse to deliver within the specified period. What we are introducing to the hostel are modern facilities including the use of renewable energy in support of our conventional electricity supply system.”

On his achievements within the past one year in office, he noted that the system on the campus today has restored the culture of merit above mediocrity, while through the whistle-blowing technique and tracking system, corruption is being phased out gradually. He also noted that with the abolition of the old culture of class attendance by proxy, students now attend lectures regularly.

He added: “Through hard work and accountability, we have been able to access TETFund for commencement of our School of Agriculture, and our Centre for Entrepreneurship. And again you would see that renovation of our facilities such as classrooms have been ongoing even as we are now adopting technology for teaching by utilising the impact of multimedia on knowledge sharing.

“In the whole of Africa, LASU is the only university that has Institute of Organic Agriculture and one thing our proprietor, the Lagos State Government, is doing for us is to cement the university’s strong partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture so that we can have access to the Songhai Farm in Badagry which is a huge investment. The farm is a massive multi-billion naira investment and that is where we expect our students to have their practical experience. If you look around too, our road networks are very appealing now. They have been constructed and the Senate Building will soon be completed. The LASU Radio has been completed, inaugurated and running well. Even right from our gates, you have a fresh feeling of a transformed university.”

He thanked every member of the university staff and management, and the students for their love, commitment to bring back the university’s lost glory, promising that the next one year will witness more successes.