UNILAG received N8bn research grants in three years – VC

The Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has said the university attracted over N8bn research grants in the past three years.

He stated this in an interview on Wednesday after a ceremony to hand over the vertical extension of the Faculty of Law of the institution in Lagos.

Alhaji Femi Okunnu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and former Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing, donated N100m for the construction of the extension.

Ogundipe said, “In the past three years of this administration, I want to say that we have been able to attract research grants of over N8bn.

“Already, this Faculty of Law has just been awarded an international grant of $45,000 and another one of $20,000.

“That is the direction a university should go. The university is the light. We are supposed to lighten the society and that is the path we are taking in UNILAG, reaching out for grants.”

About 20 of his colleagues from the institution, he added, were currently being interviewed by the TETFund for research grants worth N20 million each.

He said, “I am sure they will all get the N20 million each and if I should put these amount together, it will translate to a total of N400 million other research grants and this is going to go a long way in moving the university to an envious height.

”You must realise that our research now is demand-driven to assist the country achieve its much desired accelerated growth and that is what UNILAG is aiming at, as the university of first choice that it truly is.”

He added that the gesture from Okunnu was a life-changing one, worth emulating, noting that there was the need for more of such, from friends of the institution and other stakeholders.

Ogundipe said there was the need to support scholars who could compete locally and globally, just like the students.