In what can be regarded as a remarkable feat and first of its kind in the history of University of Lagos (UNILAG), a Professor of Microbiology at the College of Medicine, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, has emerged as the first female Vice Chancellor of UNILAG.
Ogunsola, the first female Vice Chancellor of UNILAG in 50 years, is taking over from the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
Ogundipe, who is the 12th substantive Vice Chancellor and a professor of Botany, will be ending his five-year single term tenure on November 11.
Ogunsola’s appointment as UNILAG’s 13th substantive vice chancellor was announced by the UNILAG Governing Council on Friday night.
She emerged the favourite for the top job among the seven candidates shortlisted for the institution’s prestigious post.
Other shortlisted candidates were: Professors Abayomi Akinyeye of the Department of History, Faculty of Arts; Mathew Ilori and Adeyinka Adekunle both of the Faculty of Sciences; Imran Smith of the Faculty of Law; Timothy Nubi of the Department of Estate Management at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences; and Ayo Olowe of the Faculty of Management Sciences.
In a statement made available on Friday by UNILAG, Folasade Ogunsolais expected to take over from Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who is expected to bow out on November 11.
The statement reads in part, “The appointment of Prof Ogunsola is for five years with effect from Saturday, November 12, 2022 to Thursday, November 11, 2027.
“The 12th Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, FAS, on behalf of Management, members of staff and students of the University heartily congratulates Professor Folasade Tolulope Ogunsola, FAS on her appointment and wishes her a successful tenure.”
In her profile on the website of the Nigerian Society for Infection Control (NSIC), of which she is a founding member, Ogunsola was the leader of a team responsible for infection control during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in the country.
The profile reads in part, “She has been involved in Infection Control for 20 years and contributed significantly in raising awareness of infection Control in Nigeria.
She was a founding member of the Nigerian Society for Infection Control (Formerly Nigerian Infection Control Association, NICA) in 1998 and has assisted in setting up infection control programs in institutions in the country.
“She was the Chair of the Infection Control Committee of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital till 2012 and the team lead for Infection Prevention and Control during the 2014 Ebola disease outbreak in Nigeria.
“She has worked as a consultant in IPC with the World Health Organisation since 2009 and is interested in the community applications of Infection Control principles in under-resourced communities.
“She recently with her team wrote a curriculum for a 6-month diploma in Infection Control.
She is a member of the Global Infection Prevention and Control Network, board member of the Nigerian Society of Infection Control and Chair of the Infection Control African Network.”
Folasade Ogunsola is a Professor of Medical Microbiology and a Consultant Clinical Microbiologist and Infection Control at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
Born in 1958, Ogunsola holds a PhD in Medical Microbiology (University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff), an MSc in Medical Microbiology with Distinction (University of Lagos), a Diploma in Biomedical Techniques (University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff), and an MB.ChB (University of Ife).
She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists United Kingdom, a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians, a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College in Pathology, a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science and Foundation Fellow of both the Nigerian Academy of Medicine and the Academy of Medicine Specialties.
Ogunsola has served as the acting Vice Chancellor, (Aug-Nov 2020), and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development Services, at the University of Lagos.
Before that, Ogunsola had served as the Provost of the College of Medicine, the University of Lagos for four years making her the first female ever to occupy that position.
Ogunsola is the Chairman of the Board, Tetfund South West Academic Publishing Centre and the only one of seven that has been able to start operations to date.
In areas of research, she has collaborated with the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and the North-western University in Chicago in the area of HIV, Ebola and capacity building, particularly through the Building Research and Innovation in Nigeria’s Science (BRAINS) grant.
She is also a reviewer for several scientific academic journals and an external examiner to many universities, including Kuwait University. She has been a consultant to the World Health Organisation since 2009 where she chairs various committees.
She was in Congo during the Ebola outbreak and was the team lead for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) during the 2014 Ebola disease outbreak in Nigeria.
More recently, she was recently on the Lagos State Task Force set up during the recent COVID crisis and is a consultant to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Africa Centre for Disease Control for Infection Prevention and Control.
She is also the Chair of the WHO Guidelines Committee for Ebola as well as Chair of the Infection Control African Network based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Folasade Ogunsola is a recipient of various prestigious awards from both local and international bodies and has one hundred and forty-two publications in reputable academic journals and has co-authored four books.
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