New Lagos university admits 1,850 pioneer students

The Lagos State University Of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) has admitted 1,850 pioneer students out of 16,000 applications for the 2022/2023 academic session.

This was announced Tuesday by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Olumuyiwa Odusanya, at a press briefing held at the institution’s campus in Ikorodu area of the city.

Mr Odusanya, a Professor of Public Health, noted that the university which received its Certificate of Operating License from the National Universities Commission (NUC) on 8 February 2022, has the approval to commence 37 academic programmes.

He said that guided by the NUC criteria, 50 students were admitted each for the 37 programmes in five Colleges of Agriculture, Engineering Technology, Environmental Design and Technology, Basic Sciences, and Applied Social Sciences.

“The admission exercise has been very transparent. We thank both NUC and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for their support”, he said, adding that the selection of students was strictly based on their UTME score and O-level performance.

University funding

The vice-chancellor further confirmed that as against the proposed tuition fee of N195,000 for the pioneer students who are billed to resume the current academic session, the fee has been subsidised and slashed to N68,000 by the Lagos State Government.

He added that the university has engaged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in order to benefit from its interventions.

The vice-chancellor said tertiary education is very expensive and urged individual philanthropists and corporate organisations to support the institution in its drive for excellence.

He said: “We appreciate the huge investment by the government and we call on philanthropists and well-meaning individuals to partner with us to support this new university.

“Such partnerships can be in the endowment of professorial chairs, lecture halls, donation of books, equipment, laboratories, and computers. We would be accountable and give the best value to all the resources given.”

Strategic initiatives

Speaking further, the vice-chancellor noted that the focus of the present administration is on six strategic initiatives with the acronym IMPACT.

He explained that the six strategic areas include the infrastructural development across the three campuses in Isolo, Surulere, and Ikorodu, including manpower development, a catalyst to the Lagos State agenda, and the town and gown partnership in the context of an entrepreneurial university.

He added that through the support of the government, the university is embarking on the construction of hostels through a public-private partnership.

“We plan to include industry in our curriculum, get our students involved in project development, concept, and modelling in industry, and bring industry experts to enrich our teaching and positively impact our immediate Communities.

“The university community has been sensitised and working with us to seize the unique opportunity we have to make the greatest impact,” he said.

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Governance structure

Mr Odusanya also gave a breakdown of the university’s governance structure, noting that apart from the Governor who is a visitor to the university, and the Special Adviser on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, as the supervisor of tertiary institutions in the state, the governing council is chaired by the Pro-Chancellor, Rashid Ojikutu, a Professor of Statistics at the University of Lagos.

Also, as the pioneer vice–chancellor of the university, Mr Odusanya is the chief academic and accounting officer, and is assisted acting Deputy Vice-Chancellors of Academic and Administration, Olumide Metilelu and Kolawole Godonu respectively, while the Registrar is Shakirudeen Bello.