Prof Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunj-Bello, LASU’s VC: A summary of an Amazon
By Cyriacus Nnaji:
She destroyed obstacles, dismantled challenges, escalated opportunities and uplifted the Lagos State University, LASU, to higher ground. Today the institution ranks highest sitting far higher than even the reach of most premier universities in Nigeria. What a grandiose feat! Without coloration of words, the easy going, calculating, confident Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University, LASU, Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunj-Bello, rolled out her master plan at inception as the 9th Substantive Vice Chancellor and meticulously masticated them superlatively and intentionally and today, LASU is wearing a new gown of academic excellence, infrastructural beauty and a name that rings bell among the comity of universities, not just in Nigeria but also across the world. Her dedication knows no bounds, her administrative acumen unmatched, her human relation, a primus inter pares.
Quoting Aristotle “Excellence is never an accident it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see the obstacles as opportunities”, and John Wooden poignantly put it that it takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people will do it”. Whatever achievement observable under this Amazon, it is a result of intentional actions encapsulated in her mission statement at inception of the top job as VC LASU, and her managerial experience over the years. Not forgetting her natural ability to carry the entire management, staff and students along in this onerous university administration.
Her mission statement include but not restricted to expanding the frontiers of knowledge through provision of excellent conditions for teaching, learning, research and service; to produce graduates who will be catalysts to the process of transformation of the State to a Greater Lagos; to make the teaching, research and general work environment conducive and of international standard. Core values were Leadership, Diligence, Integrity, Capacity Building and Excellence.
Then come the big ones: her six strategic goals: To ensure that academic and professional programmes are and remain accredited by the relevant bodies; to make the university a research, innovation, and development hub for Lagos State and national development; to ensure that infrastructural facilities are improved and readily available for seamless performance of administrative and academic duties; and to improve Internal Generation of Revenue with the aim of achieving financial sustainability of the university.
Others include to promote the welfare of all staff and students in the university and to promote participation in Sports and Recreational Activities
Her vision was to make LASU the BEST University in West Africa with the highest and finest level of academic and research standard.
Without invention of personal narratives, Prof Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunj-Bello came, saw and conquered. As she is close to rounding off her tenure, she would certainly look back and beat her chest with a truly beautiful smile of a proud accomplishment. Everything listed above, she has achieved.
In Admissions, Academic Reputation and Rankings, the confidence reposed in Lagos State University by prospective students and independent ranking organisations continues to affirm the University’s rising profile. For the second consecutive year, LASU emerged as the most subscribed university in Nigeria, attracting over 84,000 first-choice applications in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. This remarkable achievement earned the University formal recognition at the 2026 National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Award as Nigeria’s most preferred institution among admission seekers.
The biggest and the technologically driven library in Africa domiciled in LASU is now a fait accompli.
LASU retained its position as the Best University in West Africa in the Universita Indonesia GreenMetric World University Rankings for the fourth consecutive year while recording an improvement in its global ranking. The University also maintained its standing as Nigeria’s leading State University and remained among Africa’s highly ranked universities in recognised international assessments.
Intellectual Life and Academic Culture. The University continued to sustain a vibrant intellectual culture through scholarly activities that promote research, dialogue and knowledge exchange. The University sustained its rich academic tradition with the delivery of twenty (20) inaugural lectures across diverse disciplines, providing platforms for professors to share the outcomes of years of scholarly research and intellectual inquiry.
Still under her regime, the alumni made remarkable achievements which reflect the quality of education, mentorship and academic preparation they received at Lagos State University. Miss Aminat Yusuf, the University’s first graduate to attain a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average of 5.00, was named the 2026 Rhodes Scholar for West Africa, securing one of the world’s most prestigious postgraduate scholarships to the University of Oxford; Nine graduates of the Faculty of Law obtained First Class honours at the 2026 Nigerian Law School Bar Examination, further demonstrating the quality of legal education provided by the University under her purview.
In the same spirit, the University continued to invest significantly in research, innovation and digital transformation, recognising that the universities of the future must not only generate knowledge but also develop practical solutions to the challenges of an increasingly technology-driven world.
Therefore under Research, Innovation and Student Entrepreneurship, the University sustained its commitment to nurturing a vibrant research and innovation ecosystem that empowers both staff and students to develop practical solutions to contemporary challenges. Two LASU students, Faaiz Abdul-Liadi, a final-year medical student of the Lagos State University College of Medicine, and Taiwo Goodness Ukwedje, a 300-level student of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, recorded two consecutive ₦50 million Naira Venture Capital Grant wins in 2026. This exceptional feat was achieved in a highly competitive national programme involving more than 30,000 applicants.
Digital Transformation and Information Technology. The vision of a smart university continued to gather momentum through strategic investments in digital infrastructure and home-grown technological solutions. A state-of-the-art Tier III Data Centre was established with the support of World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education (ACEITSE) to strengthen institutional data management, cybersecurity and digital service delivery in the University and across the state.
LASU also secured approval from Tetfund for a ₦3 billion Naira Centre of Excellence, for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Cyber Sciences,(ARCS)the only one of its kind in South-West Nigeria, positioning the University as a leading hub for research, innovation and capacity development in emerging technologies.
Under Madam VC, Staff development and institutional Capacity was given serious attention. During her tenure, distinguished members of staff were appointed to key leadership positions in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. These include Prof. Solomon Makinde as Vice-Chancellor of Crawford University; Professor Kazeem Oshikoya as Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe; Professor Nosirudeen Onibon as Rector of Bola Tinubu Federal Polytechnic, Abuja; Mr Kabir Okugbesan as Registrar of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe; Mrs Senume Omolade Harrison-Fasakin as Registrar, Lagos State Cooperative College, Agege and Mr Adewunmi Olori as Registrar, Greenland University, Jalingo. Of course, these appointments further affirm LASU’s growing reputation as an institution that not only produces outstanding graduates but also develops academic and administrative leaders for the nation’s higher education sector.
In Sports Development, the University became one of Nigeria’s leading institutions in university sports, recording notable achievements at national and international competitions. LASU athletes recorded their best-ever outing at the Nigerian Universities Games, winning an impressive haul of 10 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze medals across various sporting events. The University also recorded outstanding performances in karate, basketball, taekwondo, football and other competitions, reaffirming commitment to nurturing well-rounded graduates through sports and recreation.
Recall that two years ago, the Amazon, in collaboration with the university of Lagos hosted that year’s All University games, one of the finest hosting in the history of the game.
A lover of the media, “Over the last five years, you have been far more than reporters of our activities. You have been trusted partners in telling the story of Lagos State University with professionalism, fairness and deep sense of responsibility. Through your reports, interviews, features and editorials, you have helped to showcase our achievements, amplify our innovations and project the positive image of our University to audiences within Nigeria and beyond.
“I am confident that the enduring relationship between Lagos State University and the media will continue to flourish, as we remain committed to promoting excellence in higher education and celebrating the transformative impact of our institutions on society,” she stated at the press conference heralding the 29th and 30th combine convocation ceremony of the university.
Under the watch of this very distinguished Amazon, the physical Infrastructure Development of this much sought after university was given a boost, as Physical infrastructure remained a major priority, the University continued to expand facilities that support teaching, research, learning and student welfare. Under her administration, Construction commenced on a 1,500-bed student hostel under a TETFund facilitated Public-Private Partnership valued at approximately ₦4 billion Naira, representing the largest student accommodation initiative in the University’s history.
The University secured Federal Government approval for a 15-megawatt Independent Power Project designed to provide reliable electricity, enhance operational efficiency and significantly reduce energy costs; there was also Commissioning of 600 seater auditorium at Epe Campus donated by Honourable Tunji Bello, Chairman, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
Without sounding highfluting, significant progress was recorded on several strategic projects, including the School of Tourism, New Centre for Planning Building which is under construction and new Faculty of Engineering Building at Epe Campus. Several other projects are also undergoing renovation and upgrade, including part of Faculty of Arts and Central Research Lab. Also the University upgraded and equipped additional laboratories to strengthen practical teaching, research and innovation across relevant disciplines.
Under Prof Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunj-Bello, Lagos State University (LASU) operated commercial ventures like the LASU Bakery and LASU Water. These campus enterprises provide internal revenue for the institution and create flexible or part-time work pathways for student empowerment. Part of the purpose was the university’s drive to build self-sustaining commercial units that serve the campus community, offer undergraduates opportunities for engagement and hands-on operational experience alongside their studies, complement broader student entrepreneurship and job schemes implemented across the Lagos State University.
Most importantly, the criticality of peace on campus was stressed and improved upon, cultism was a no go area, and proper dressing became a prerequisite for entering the gate of the university, a student must appear decent in tandem with the peaceful ambiance prevalent in the university.
