Lawmakers at the Lagos State House of Assembly have lauded the state University (LASU) for ranking among the top 1,000 universities in the world alongside University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, and Covenant University from Nigeria.
The state varsity emerges the second-best university in Nigeria, the 11th in Africa, and one of the first 500 in the world based on the 2021 Times Higher Education World University Ranking released recently.
The Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, while commending the management and students of LASU on the feat, said that it was pleasing that the institution was moving away from students’ crisis it was hitherto known from to achieving excellence in global rankings.
Speaking after the Deputy Clerk of the House, Taiwo Ottun, read a letter signed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, and addressed to the Speaker, where he officially informed the Assembly of the ratings during plenary on Monday, Obasa said that gains being recorded was a reflection of hardwork being done by the institution’s staff and lecturers.
“LASU had always been at the forefront in the past and regaining it is worthy of celebration. We must celebrate them and congratulate the man at the helms of affairs in the university, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun.
“We can get to the level of universities in the developed countries in the world. If we can get to that stage, we will save the funds being spent by our people to study abroad. We can get to a stage, where people can come to LASU for education,” he said.
Commenting on the letter, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Yinka Ogundimu, said that the amendment of the law setting up the university, which he said approved a 5-year single term to the Vice-Chancellor has greatly helped the university.
Ogundimu stated that with the amendment, the current administration was witnessing peace and academic excellence in the institution.
“The most notable is the peace in the Student Union of LASU in the last four years. We cannot rule out the contributions of the leadership of the House under Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun. LASU was also named as the center of excellence. The university was able to attract some research grants by international research bodies.
“The students have been outstanding in various areas and about 70 programs of the university are fully accredited such that people are willing to attend the university. A lady from the University came out as the best medical student and one Ramota Adeola from the university became the best Ph.D. Student in South Africa, not to talk of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and other members, who passed through LASU,” he said.
On his part, the lawmaker representing Eti-Osa constituency II, Gbolahan Yishawu, said that the assembly ensured that the university got the needed money for accreditation, a development he said contributed to the institution’s success on the ranking table.
