From University of Lagos to Canadian Dean: Nigerian Scholar Appointed Law Dean at USask

The University of Saskatchewan College of Law in Canada has appointed Nigerian-born legal scholar Dr. Ibironke Odumosu-Ayanu as its new dean for a five-year term beginning October 1, 2026. She succeeds Martin Phillipson, who completed two five-year terms as dean and began administrative leave on July 1, 2026. The appointment was announced by Patti McDougall, interim provost and vice-president, academic at the University of Saskatchewan, who also chaired the search committee for the new dean. McDougall praised Odumosu-Ayanu’s academic record and leadership qualities, stating: “Dr. Odumosu-Ayanu’s appointment as dean reflects a distinguished record of academic excellence, collaborative leadership, and dedication to advancing research and graduate education. Her work as dean will continue to build on the College of Law’s strong reputation for excellence in legal education and research, while strengthening its leadership in Indigenous legal scholarship and engagement with local and global communities”.

Odumosu-Ayanu grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where she developed an early interest in reading and writing. Although she initially considered pursuing communications, encouragement from her teachers and support from her parents led her towards law. By the end of secondary school, she had decided to study law and enrolled at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), where she earned her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree. She later moved to Canada to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Calgary, drawn by its research strengths in natural resources, energy and environmental law. She obtained her LLM from the University of Calgary in 2005. Reflecting on this decision, she noted: “Since I started law school, I always knew that I wanted to do a master’s and to do one abroad. But I always thought I would go to England”. Odumosu-Ayanu initially intended to return to Nigeria after completing her master’s degree and practise as a lawyer. However, she continued her academic journey by pursuing a PhD at the University of British Columbia, which she completed in 2010. She said a doctorate was not part of her original plan, but she eventually embraced the academic path.

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Odumosu-Ayanu joined the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Law in 2008 as an assistant professor and has been a member of the faculty since then. Before her appointment as dean, she served as associate dean for research and graduate studies at the college, a position she assumed on July 1, 2025. Prior to joining USask, she was a sessional lecturer at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law and at the Canadian Institute of Resources Law in Calgary. She is also a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Before Odumosu-Ayanu assumes office, Professor Doug Surtees, who has been serving as interim dean since July 1, 2026, will continue in the position until September 30. Surtees was appointed interim dean to provide stable leadership during the transition as the search for the next dean continued.

Odumosu-Ayanu is internationally recognised for her research focusing on business and human rights, as well as the intersections of natural resource development, international law on foreign investment, and socio-economic development. Her current research interests focus on local communities and Indigenous peoples and their interactions with legal systems. A recipient of several competitive research grants, including grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) , her research has been published in several leading international journals and books. She has coedited books and journal issues, including the 2025 volume Contested Consultations in the Extractive Industries: Rights, Processes and Tensions published by Routledge. She has spoken at numerous international conferences across several continents, delivered invited lectures at leading universities, and co-convened workshops and conferences with leading experts. Her recent publications include “Local Communities, Indigenous Peoples, and Reform/Re-Definition of International Investment Law” in the Journal of World Investment and Trade (2023) and contributions to the Oxford University Press volume Rethinking Investment Law: Perspectives and Prospects.

Beyond her research contributions, Odumosu-Ayanu has developed a strong record in teaching and mentorship, regularly supervising graduate students in law and interdisciplinary programmes. She teaches Contracts, Business Organizations I, Law Development and the International System, and Advanced Law Development and the International System. Her contributions to student support and teaching have earned her several recognitions, including the Provost’s College Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2012 and the USask InterD Advisor Award in 2026. She is also a contributor to one of Canada’s leading contracts law casebooks.

Odumosu-Ayanu has been actively involved in academic and community organisations across Saskatchewan and Canada. She has served on the boards of professional associations, academic journals and community organisations, including the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association. She serves or has served on the editorial/advisory boards of the Business and Human Rights Journal, Law and Society Review, Journal of African Law, African Journal of International Economic Law, and the African Yearbook of International Law. She was co-chair of the Midwest Interest Group of the American Society of International Law and a vice president of the Canadian Law and Society Association. She has also served as a consultant for the United Nations University, chair of a SSHRC committee, and reviewer for granting agencies including SSHRC, as well as external examiner and reviewer for publishers, journals and universities including the University of Oxford and the University of Victoria. Her appointment adds her to the growing list of Nigerian academics who have risen to senior leadership positions within Canadian universities, building on an academic career that has spanned legal education and research in both Nigeria and Canada.

From University of Lagos to Canadian Dean: Nigerian Scholar Appointed Law Dean at USask

LASU: Mother allegedly assaults daughter’s roommate, student rushed to LASUTH with eye injury

A disturbing incident involving a mother, her daughter and a fellow student at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja, has triggered reactions after a video of an alleged assault circulated widely on social media.

The incident reportedly involved Adebayo Oluwatumininu, a 300-level Nursing student, who was allegedly assaulted by the mother of her roommate, Hassan Temiloluwa, a Physiotherapy student.

The Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU) confirmed the incident in a statement issued on September 2, 2026, saying the confrontation left Oluwatumininu with an injury to her eye.

Following the incident, officials of the students’ union at the Ikeja Campus reportedly intervened and took the student to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for medical attention.

The incident attracted widespread public attention after a video showing part of the confrontation was shared on social media.

In the footage, an older woman is seen confronting the student inside a room before the encounter escalates into physical violence. The circumstances leading to the confrontation, however, remain the subject of competing claims.

Reports circulating online have alleged that the woman accused the student of slapping her, while other accounts have made different claims about how the physical confrontation began.

Those claims have not been independently verified, and the LASU Students’ Union did not publicly establish who initiated the physical altercation or provide a complete account of what happened before the incident captured in the video.

The students’ union said the seriousness of the incident became apparent after Oluwatumininu sustained an eye injury and was taken to LASUTH for treatment.

A medical assessment is expected to provide further information about the extent of the student’s injury.

The response to the incident reportedly involved LASU management, the university’s Centre for Gender-Based and Sexual Violence, students’ union officials and members of the affected student’s family.

The matter has also attracted police attention, with the mother of the Physiotherapy student reportedly taken into custody over allegations of physical assault and threats.

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The police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and determine whether any criminal offence was committed.

Meanwhile, the university is separately examining the circumstances surrounding the incident involving Hassan Temiloluwa.

According to the students’ union, the student is expected to appear before the LASU University Disciplinary Committee in line with the institution’s established procedures.

The union did not publicly disclose the specific allegations against the student or indicate what sanctions, if any, she could face.

Her appearance before the disciplinary committee should therefore not be interpreted as a finding of guilt, as the university process is intended to examine the circumstances and allow the parties involved to present their accounts.

LASUSU condemned the alleged use of violence in resolving disputes and stressed the importance of using appropriate channels to address disagreements within the university community.

The statement was signed by the 37th LASUSU President, Olipehin Ahmad Rufai, and the union’s Public Relations Officer, Jinadu Jamiu Ademola.

The students’ union also commended the university management, the Centre for Gender-Based and Sexual Violence and others who intervened following the incident.

The case has generated a wider discussion about the role of parents when their children become involved in disputes at tertiary institutions.

While parents may understandably become concerned when their children face disagreements or conflicts, universities typically have established procedures for handling disputes involving students.

In the LASU incident, an alleged disagreement between students reportedly escalated into an altercation involving an adult, resulting in an alleged eye injury, medical treatment, police intervention and a university disciplinary process.

Several important questions surrounding the incident remain unanswered.

It has not been independently established what initially triggered the disagreement between the two students, why the mother went to the hostel or what occurred immediately before the confrontation recorded in the viral video.

There are also conflicting accounts on social media regarding who initiated the physical confrontation.

What the students’ union has confirmed is that an altercation occurred, Oluwatumininu sustained an injury, she received medical attention, the police became involved and the university initiated its disciplinary process.

The police investigation and the university’s proceedings are expected to provide further clarity on the circumstances of the incident.

The case remains under investigation, and allegations against the individuals involved have not been finally established by a court or other competent authority.

The development also underscores the importance of resolving disputes within university communities through established institutional and legal channels rather than through physical confrontation.

As the matter progresses, further information from LASU management, the police, the university disciplinary committee and the courts, where applicable, could clarify the events surrounding the alleged assault.

Newstrends.ng will continue to monitor developments in the case and provide updates as further verified information emerges.

LASU: Mother allegedly assaults daughter’s roommate, student rushed to LASUTH with eye injury

Regnum Medical University Opens Admission, Gets NUC Nod for Six Health Programmes

Regnum Medical University, Anthony, Lagos, has secured approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence academic operations and admit students for the 2026/2027 academic session into six health professional programmes, including Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy and Nursing Science.

The approval clears the way for the newly established university to admit qualified candidates into Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D), Nursing Science (B.N.Sc), Medical Laboratory Science (BMLS), Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) and Radiography (B.Rad).

The NUC approval followed a comprehensive resource verification exercise during which a team of professors and specialists assessed the university’s academic programmes, infrastructure, laboratories, library resources and faculty strength.

With the approval, Regnum Medical University joins the growing number of institutions seeking to expand Nigeria’s capacity for training doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other health professionals at a time when the country faces a significant shortage of skilled healthcare manpower.

A statement by the university obtained on Friday says for the 2026/2027 academic session, it will admit students into:
1. Medicine and Surgery – MBBS
2. Doctor of Pharmacy – Pharm.D
3. Nursing Science – B.N.Sc
4. Medical Laboratory Science – BMLS
5. Doctor of Physiotherapy – DPT
6. Radiography – B.Rad

These programmes, it adds, were carefully selected to align with national health priorities and are designed to meet global best practices in medical training. Each course combines intensive classroom instruction with hands-on clinical training to produce graduates who are competent, compassionate, and ready to serve.

Regnum Medical University is located in Anthony, a central and secure part of Lagos. The location at Anthony is about 5-10 mins drive to both the International Airport and the Local Airport and is accessible from Maryland, Palmgrove, Ikeja, Oshodi, and a straight drive from the Lagos Island.

According to the statement, the campus has been structured to support modern education in the health professions.
Facilities include adequate lecture room facilities, state-of-the-art basic science, basic medical science and basic clinical science laboratories, simulation centres, digital library, ICT centres, rehabilitation facilities and air-conditioned hostels.

To drive and implement the various health professions curricula, the university has assembled a team of highly qualified and experienced academic faculty.

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This will ensure that students receive instruction from professionals with both academic depth and real-world clinical experience. Leading this team of erudite professionals and serving as pioneer Vice-Chancellor is Professor Akin Osibogun, a Professor of Community Medicine, who has been Chief Medical Director at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for eight (8) years, and former President, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

The Vice-Chancellor will be supported by other astute and renowned Professors in the Health Professions.

Speaking on the development, the Vice-Chancellor said, “Our goal is to create an environment where learning meets practice,” a university spokesperson said. “We are committed to training healthcare professionals who can compete anywhere in the world.”

Understanding that medicine is best learned at the bedside, for strong clinical practices, Regnum Medical University has secured agreements with hospitals under the Lagos State Health Service Commission (LSHSC) for clinical training and affiliations.

This affiliation ensures that Regnum Medical University graduates will not only be academically sound but also clinically competent and familiar with Nigeria’s healthcare system.

To support student welfare, the university provides comfortable hostels with air-conditioned rooms. The hostels are designed to create a conducive living and learning environment, with 24-hour power, water supply, internet access, and security. Other amenities include a cafeteria, recreation areas, and transport services to and from clinical training sites.

The establishment of Regnum Medical University comes at a critical time when Nigeria faces a shortage of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and allied health professionals.

By expanding access to quality medical education, the university aims to bridge this gap and reduce medical tourism.

With this development, applications for admission into the six programmes for the 2026/2027 academic session are now open to qualified candidates from Nigeria and other countries.
Prospective students with the required UTME and O’Level qualifications in the sciences are encouraged to apply early as spaces are limited.

Further information can be obtained directly from the University at its campus :Regnum Medical University, 326-330 Ikorodu Road, Anthony, Lagos OR by visiting the University website at regnummed.edu.ng or follow @RegnumMedicalUniversity on social media.

The university will also hold physical and virtual admission counseling sessions for parents and prospective students in the coming weeks. Details will be announced on the university’s official website and social media pages.

Regnum Medical University, Anthony, Lagos is a private university dedicated to excellence in health sciences education, research, and service. Admissions are ongoing.

“Apply today and begin your journey to becoming a competent and confident health professional.”

Regnum Medical University Opens Admission, Gets NUC Nod for Six Health Programmes