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Tag: Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe

  • N250m BoI grant for UNILAG entrepreneurship scheme

    The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has got approval for a N250 million grant from the Bank of Industry (BoI) to expand its entrepreneurship programme.

    Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the university, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the institution would soon begin offering interest-free loans of between N1 million and N2 million to students to set up businesses before they graduate.

    Speaking at the university’s pre-convocation briefing, Prof Ogundipe said: “I am glad to inform you that the Bank of Industry (BoI) has just approved the sum of N250 million to support the entrepreneurship drive of the university.  The university will be giving out loans of between one and two million naira to start-ups from this fund, depending on the proposal and cost required.

    “Our aim is that from next year about one per cent of students would graduate with a registered business.”

    Read also: UNILAG team wins UN crime hackathon

    Ogundipe said the university had also introduced other efforts to strengthen its entrepreneurship programme including the organiSation of a design thinking programme – the second of which was sponsored by Lufthansa with N70 million and the participation of its students in the ReadySetWork (RSW)– a work readiness programme of the Lagos State government.

    At the event, the VC announced that the university would soon start its Business School to offer professional programmes.

    “The University of Lagos Business School is set to take off.  When fully functional, the school would run short executive courses and professional degree programmes with highly experienced industry personnel as facilitators,” he said.

  • UNILAG appeals to blogger, alleged sexual harassment victim to come

    … May involve security agencies in search

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos ( UNILAG ), Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe has urged Joy Nwanna, a former student, and blogger, Linda Ikeji, to appear before its sexual harassment panel.

    The VC who made the appeal Monday at the Senate chambers said the appearance of the duo would help the Prof Chioma Agonmo-led panel to unravel Joy’s allegations of sexual harassment against Prof Segun Awonusi of the university’s English department.

    He assured them of protection should they come forward.

    In May, Linda Ikeji featured a post of semi-nude photographs of Awonusi sent by Nwanna who accused him and others in the university’s English department of sexual harassment.

    Nwanna was a student of the University between 2012/2013 and 2015/2016 academic sessions.

    In investigating the matter, Prof Ogundipe said the five-member panel dug into contacts from Miss Nwanna’s student records and tried reaching out to her and her next of kin but met a brick wall.

    “She gave us the name of the next of kin, Samuel Nwanna. His number is 08060971976. We called but it did not go through.

    Her sponsor is as Idighisai Grace. The phone number is 07033543627. We got in touch but it was another person that responded.

    The number with us concerning Joy Nwanna is 07035574747. It was one Yakubu Idris that picked the call.

    This particular individual had different personalities. If she is ready to attend to the request of the panel, we will give her necessary cover.

    Read Also: UNILAG sexual harassment : VC insists victim must show up

    And even Linda Ikeji, who is an alumnus, we are appealing that as a proud alumnus of this university, she should assist this university to get to the bottom of this issue so that the name of the University will not be ridiculed.

    “The email address she used to getting across to our University man (Awonusi), we sent a mail but got no reply.”

    The VC said Awonusi on his part had appeared before the panel twice.

    “Awonusi submitted a written report; the committee looked at the report. He submitted the email she sent to him and appeared before the panel twice,” he said.

    Unfortunately, Ogundipe said the panel got no response from any other students regarding the sexual harassment case.

    “The panel called on other students who had information about the case or others to come forward but nobody came forward,” he said.

    Ogundipe said the University would not rule out using law enforcement agencies to trace Nwanna.

    The VC urged members of the public with relevant information on the victim to help the University with the investigation.

    He said: “The alleged victim was identified as Miss Joy Nwanna by Prof Awonusi in the course of his interactions with the Panel. Student records of Miss Joy revealed that she was admitted into the Department of English as a direct entry student in the 2012/2013 session.

    She graduated from the University in 2015/2016 academic session.

    “All attempts made by the fact finding panel to contact Miss Nwanna by the telephone numbers in her student records and by e-mail proved abortive.

    The panel also attempted to contact Linda Ikeji to convince the alleged victim to come forward but Linda Ikeji was not forthcoming in that regard.

    “The preliminary investigations have raised certain questions and issues that need to be investigated further. Investigations are ongoing. The University is making efforts to confirm the authenticity or otherwise of the pictures that were released.

    The University also requires Miss Joy Nwanna to come forward to substantiate the allegations.

    “The Press and general public are urged to assist the University by impressing it on Miss Joy Nwanna to come forward to substantiate her claim.

    An appeal is also made to Linda Ikeji to convince the victim to appear before the panel and state her side of the story.

    “The University assures both Miss Joy Nwanna and Linda Ikeji of necessary protection should they decide to come forward.”

  • UNILAG VC to Corona pupils: be focused

    Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe has advised graduating pupils of Corona Secondary School in Agbara Ogun State to be focused.

    At the valedictory ceremony for Class of 2018, the trio of Oluwakorede Akande, Salutorian Stephanie Agana and Omobolanle Alashe, were the cynosure as they walked tall among their peers due to their academic performance.

    Prof Ogundipe urged the pupils to be managers of their minds, saying “while distractions may be an impediment to realise one’s potential, they should be focused and shouldn’t allow happenings around them to affect their goals”.

    Speaking on the topic “Nothing but the best”, the scholar attributed the sterling performance and successes recorded by the pupils to perseverance, determination, and commitment to learning.

    Success, he said, is about having a positive impact in your environment. He admonished the pupils to surround themselves with good people.

    He said: “Learn to take small steps and embrace the challenge. You must know that setback would come, but use the stumbling stones to move to the next level.

    “Speak positive things concerning your life, learn to implement ideas coming to your mind, know your purpose and nurse it, start thinking about your career whether you want to be a doctor, engineer, academic etc. Also, increase your level of awareness and exposure, be willing to break new grounds, and learn to take risks.”

    To achieve greater success, Prof Ogundipe said they must leave their comfort zone and make a decision to be solution providers.

    Highlighting what makes great men unique, Ogundipe said “people often say ‘think outside the box’, but when there is no box, you think wider and this makes you a unique being. “Be dedicated to whatever you are doing, practice as much as you can and have mental preparation.  Also, it is important to decide on your success goal, don’t look at others and don’t run another person’s race,”he said.

    The Vice-Chancellor advised the pupils to learn from their mistakes and never give up in life even when they fail or fall.

    “Examine other people’s success and keep on learning because the journey is still very far. Don’t act alone, believe in yourself so that you can fulfill your goal,” he said.

    The school principal, Mrs. Chinedum Oluwadamilola in her speech entitled: “The best is in you”, said she is elated at the amazing accomplishments of the Class of 2018.

    She said: “They gave us an inkling of what to expect by smashing the Standardised Aptitude Test (SAT) last December and went on to give us the best in International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) result in the school to date, where some of them made A*s in all the subjects they wrote. The Class of 2018 ‘humiliated’ Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with 10pupils scoring above 300, over 75 per cent of them making 250 and above and one scoring the second highest in the country.

    “I will not fail to congratulate this graduating class for being the class that produced the first and only secondary pupils in Nigeria to pass the foundation level of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The impressive university admissions and mouthwatering scholarships deserve our applause.”

    Mrs Oluwadamilola urged the pupils to be worthy ambassadors of a school and blaze forth like stars that light the night.

    “As agents of transformation, be sure to lead lives worthy of emulation and in all your future endeavours, be guided by truth. Go and accomplish the extraordinary for only the very best is good enough for you,” she said.

    At the end of the ceremony, awards of recognition were given to outstanding pupils while the duo of Anthony Ilobinso and Ademola Adelekan won Outstanding Teachers’ Award of the 2018 set.

    Dignitaries at the event included Chief Executive Officer, Corona School Trust Council, Mrs. Adeyoyin Adesina; Director of Education; Mrs. Amelia Dafeta; Executive Chairman, Agbara/Igbesa Local Council Development Area of Ogun State, Ebenezer Oniyide; representatives of ACCA, Lagos and West,  Abayomi Quassim; Ayoola Ademoye; parents and well-wishers.

  • UNILAG sexual harassment : VC insists victim must show up

    Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Vice – Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), says conclusive investigation into alleged sexual harassment against a lecturer may not be possible if the victim fails to show up.

    Ogundipe made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the 6th Prof. Babatunde Sofoluwe Memorial Lectureon Tuesday in Lagos.

    Ogundipe said the the supposed victim must appear to help the fact-finding committee set up by the management, to carry out proper, balanced and fair investigation.

    “If the lady does not come out, how will the investigation be concluded.

    “You must not hear from one side alone;  you must hear from the two sides and balance the information you have gotten before taking decision and making recommendation”, Ogundipe said .

    He stressed that the university has a standing policy to address such issue and would not compromise the investigation in any way.

    According to him, the investigation committee consists of senior Professors who would not be intimidated by anybody.

    “We have our policy on ground concerning issues relating to the behavior of our students, lecturers to lecturers and lecturers to students and the policy on ground would be properly implemented .

    “When you talk about academic corruption, it is a global issue but the policies to address it too is also on ground .

    ” Anybody that is found culpable will be taken care of by the laid down policies”, he said.

    Also read; Kogi varsity students decry delayed results

    NAN reports that a former female student of English in the university had on May 23, released semi nude pictures of Prof. Segun Awonusi on the social media, accusing him of molesting female students of the department.

    The lady now identified as Joy Uwana graduated from the department in the 2015/2016 session after taking an extra semester.

    She had claimed that harassment of female students in the department was done with the knowledge of other lecturers who kept mute because of the “cult-like” nature of their operations.

    Probe into the allegation commenced on Saturday when the university management constituted a probe panel.

    The panel has already given those with useful information on the matter between June 11 and June 15, to forward it.

    However, the suspect, Awonusi, a former commissioner in Ogun State and one time Vice Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education, Igbesa, denied the allegation, dismissing it as cheap blackmail.

    According to him, the complainant had called him demanding payment of N400, 000 or she would release the nude pictures.

    He also claimed that the pictures were in his phone that was stolen.

  • Nigerian varsities can be best in Africa – Prof Ogundipe

    Nigerian varsities can be best in Africa – Prof Ogundipe

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University  of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, says Nigerian universities can be the best in Africa, if they can enjoy  a stable academic calendar.

    Ogundipe made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

    The vice-chancellor was reacting to incessant strikes by labour unions in the Nigerian university system.

    According to him, there is the need for education stakeholders to effectively manage issues that result in strikes.

    “Universities especially the first generation ones in the country can be ranked best in Africa, if we can continue with a stable academic calendar.

    “There is need for everyone to look inward to ensure that we are always able to manage crisis in the system so that the country’s universities can be ranked among the best in the world,” Ogundipe said.

    He also said that there was the need for the stakeholders to take university administration and related issues more serious.

    Ogundipe urged that Nigerian university administration should be done in line with best practices.

    “We are talking about global ranking of universities, and here we are, still grappling with issues of strike,” he said.

    “An instance is the ongoing strike by the three non-academic staff unions of universities.

    “This does not speak well of us as a country because one cannot rule out their relevance in the running of the system.

    “As a manager of a university, I know that their strike has an effect on the operations of the institutions,” he said.

    .The don noted that many facilities for a conducive teaching and learning environment were being handled by the non-academic staff.

    “But I am sure that the academic staff would be up to their assignments.

    “This group of staff is not on strike.

    “The classrooms are open; as we resumed on December 27, lectures have commenced in most faculties in our university.

    “The strike is nationwide and not local; there is little the university on its own can do,” he said.

    According to him, the striking unions under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) have been reasonable in their conduct.

    .“They are on strike, no doubt about that. Nobody has forced them to come to work since the declaration of the strike to the best of my knowledge.

    “My message is that there is need for an urgent and continuous dialogue between the striking workers and the Federal Government.“Dialogue is key,” he told NAN.

    NAN reports that the striking unions, under the aegis of JAC, had on Sept. 11, embarked on a nationwide indefinite strike over theon-implementation of an agreement they entered into in 2009 with the Federal Government