Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe emerged as the best vice-chancellor of Nigerian universities in 2005 during his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos. But it was not until Monday, July 23, 2012, that the general public had a glimpse of how he was able to achieve this feat. The occasion was the public presentation of a book at the Metropolitan Club, titled, From Excellence to Distinction: The University of Lagos on World’s Intellectual Map. The book contained selected speeches by Ibidapo-Obe to various audiences at the university.
The occasion was chaired by Chief Olu Akinkugbe, President of the Metropolitan Club. He replaced Chief Afe Babalola, who was unavoidably absent. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the Chief Guest of Honour, while Alhaji Aliko Dangote was the Chief Launcher. He was represented by Joseph Makoju. Ibidapo-Obe’s opening remarks were followed by brief remarks by the above-named dignitaries and by the Acting VC of UNILAG, Prof. Rahamon Bello; the publisher of the book, Chief Joop Berkhout; and one of the co-editors, Dr. Okanlawon Oladipo Adediji. I provided a formal review of the book, which I summarise below.
The co-editors of the book are two successive librarians of the university, namely, the late Simeon Olajire Olanlokun, who conceived of the project, and his immediate successor, Adediji, who completed it. Their effort indicates that the university has institutional memory and that librarians are the official custodians of that memory. But these two librarians went beyond the call of duty to fish out the data for this book. They analysed the data well by sorting them out into meaningful categories described below. Finally, they communicated their findings effectively, especially in their separate prefaces, which highlight important developments at UNILAG during Ibidapo-Obe’s tenure.
The speeches provide interesting clues to Ibidapo-Obe’s vision and mission as VC; strategic thinking; planning capabilities; and leadership qualities. First, the speeches provide historical documentation of the events they commemorated and of major developments within the University of Lagos and beyond between 2001 and 2007. They reveal that various structures, begun during Ibidapo-Obe’s tenure, were (nearly) completed by December 2006. They included: Afe Babalola Lecture Hall; Julius Berger Lecture Theatre; Erastus Akingbola (Alumnus) Postgraduate Hall; HIVITECH Laboratory; LM Ericsson GSM Training Centre; NEPA/ABB High Voltage Laboratory; Zenith Cybercafe; Social Sciences Facilities; MTN Universities Connect Project; Students Block of Hostels through BOT arrangements; and WEMA/Alumni Block. These structures alone are sufficient to change the face of any university.
But the change that was most dear to Ibidapo-Obe as the VC was the one that affected research, academic productivity, the quality of instruction, value orientation, and service to the community. He made it known to the University Senate during his inaugural address in 2002 that he wanted UNILAG to be the nation’s best university: “…my vision is to make the University of Lagos a national institution of first choice and place her at the commanding heights of internationally acclaimed knowledge producing institutions in the world” (p. 2). He pledged to deploy “strategic thinking, planning, and technologically-aided and performance-driven management” (p.2).
By 2003, UNILAG was rated the best by the National Universities Commission, using the accreditation guidelines. In the same year, UNILAG was adjudged by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board as the institution of first choice. That’s not all. The University’s Governing Council, ably led by Chief Babalola, was rated the best by the NUC, while Ibidapo-Obe was rated the second best VC among his peers in federal universities. It took him only two years to reach the very top of the ranking. By 2005, UNILAG had become the best university overall: The VC and the Governing Council were rated the best of all the Nigerian universities.
It was the pursuit of knowledge that led Ibidapo-Obe to work hard on the second phase of his vision, namely, to “place UNILAG at the commanding heights of internationally acclaimed knowledge producing institutions in the world”. This led to various research partnerships and collaborations; staff and student exchanges; and memoranda of understanding and agreement with over 30 institutions worldwide.
These international collaborations should not be seen as manifestations of a dependency syndrome. I invite such critics to visit Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook headquarters and branch offices all over the world. What they will find are white, black, brown, and other kinds of faces working together to produce innovative software that are driving knowledge production and facilitating communication and social networking all over the world. The globalisation of knowledge requires a globalised workforce and globalised learning processes.
The speeches also show that the ability of a university to achieve its vision and mission rests on effective leadership. A university head must be able to design a plan of action, follow it through and effectively work with the University Senate, on the one hand, and the Governing Council, on the other hand. Ibidapo-Obe performed these tasks effectively. The result was a cooperative Senate and Governing Council as well as a very supportive Pro-Chancellor. And he was never shy of acknowledging their support and cooperation, especially in his Convocation speeches. His praises for the Pro-Chancellor, Babalola, were often particularly effusive, especially in regard to the establishment of a $550m Endowment Fund and Public Partnership Projects, which resulted in the construction of many new structures on campus.
Third, Ibidapo-Obe’s speeches are replete with statistical data about UNILAG from its inception in 1962 through 2007. The statistics included how many students applied to UNILAG each year; what percentage of them was admitted; how many graduated each year and in what field; and so on. These statistics indicated that more and more students have been making UNILAG their first choice since 2003.
Finally, one cannot but notice the structural construction of the speeches, especially those given at Matriculations, Convocations, and Inaugural lectures. The Matriculation speeches were intended to initiate newly admitted students into the university. So, they often contained information about how many students applied; how many of them were admitted; and what facilities are available for their learning. They were also given assurances about their safety and welfare.
The Convocation speeches were occasions to restate the university’s vision and mission and explain how far they’ve been accomplished by listing all achievements to date and looking forward to future developments. We also learned about how many students graduated in a particular year, and in what fields.
But my favourite category is the speeches delivered at inaugural lectures. They provide the historical DNA of each professor by providing information about when and where they were born, what schools they attended, and their career development up to professorship. They also provide a brief summary of each lecture; and a post-lecture comment.
Three major factors contributed to the quality and successful production of this book. The co-editors did an excellent job of arranging the content. Second, the publisher and printer produced a high quality book in very readable typeface. The high-quality biding ensured that the 508-page book remains intact, no matter how frequently you open the pages. Third, the speeches are of superb quality because their author is one of the most prodigious, ingenious, visionary, and yet vivacious vice-chancellors of our time.
In conclusion, it is important to reflect on the name of the institution that Ibidapo-Obe struggled so hard to place on the world map of universities. It is the “University of Lagos”, a 50-year-old name established by statue. That is the name that most students seeking admission look for when they want to pick their university of first choice. It is the name that the international community of scholars look for when they want to establish partnerships, collaborations, and exchanges. By the will of the people, by the wisdom of the courts, and by the good grace of God, may the name, University of Lagos, remain, and may the university grow in leaps and bounds
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