The Lagos State University, LASU by virtue of being among the 17 universities in Nigeria to be awarded African Centre of Excellence, ACE by World Bank is poised to set up a new education convention Centre, including setting up four buildings in the institution through a grant of $7 million by the international financial body.
According to the World Bank, the broad objective of ACE Impact is to increase the quantity, quality, and development of relevant postgraduate education in selected universities through regional specialization.
Prof. Lanre Fagbohun,Vice Chancellor, LASU at the maiden edition of long service award to honor about 543 staff of the university who have being in service for 20 years and above, that had as chairman, Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo, Pro-Chancellor & Chairman, Governing Council, explained that the entire efforts of staff of the institution made it possible to be the only State University to be a center of excellence.
Prof. Fagbohun noted that “Our University has been counted worthy and we are now a host of African Center of Excellence, ACE. Over 154 submissions were made to National Universities Commission, NUC; LASU was one of the 17 universities and the only university to qualify for ACE.
“Today we here to celebrate ourselves for what we have invested in this great institution. Those universities who have succeeded in maintaining African Centre for Excellence, ACE are expecting LASU to produce new knowledge. They believe we are capable of producing new knowledge and are in the frontier of charting new innovative ideas.
“Again, being a center of excellence will be attracting foreign students, and foreign faculties into this great institution made possible by everyone’s contribution. And because of this opportunity of hosting foreign students, it does not allow for fight and crisis.
“The benefits of ACE in an institution are enormous as each center of excellence brought into your institution will give you a minimum of $7 million. So we have to strategically manage our institution as the name of the game is changing and we must be part of it. I am saying thank to you who have worked together day and night to make this institution where we are today.
“By virtue of this, not only do we have a fund to fund convention education center, we already have four new buildings coming to this school whose foundations will be laid from November to December this year.” Added LASU helmsman.
Reacting to …Prof Ninalowo observed that “African Centre of Excellence is located in LASU, we expect good things to come. It is a measure of global recognition that is obviously beyond this shore in terms of appreciation and recognition what we have been able to do over the years, particularly within the past three and half years. This is an inspiration and incentive for the university to do more
“The LASU project is about excellence and everything we are doing is work in progress. From all indications and in consonance with the rule of law establishing the institution, there is no going back on oars until we get to the Promised Land. Promised Land as to the perimeters to what a university should look like is our main target.
Speaking on the peace experience by LASU, the institution’s Prof- Chancellor and Chairman, Governing noted that it was due to the school compliance to rule of law and the enforcement social justice by treating human beings as human. This is what this kind of programme is all about, giving people incentives and motivating them.”