# Lagos State University

Lagos State University, popularly known as LASU, is a Lagos state government-owned university established in 1983. Its main campus is situated at Ojo, with sub-campuses at Ikeja and Epe. The university was set up "for the advancement of learning and establishment of academic excellence". The university caters to over 35,000 students. The university was established during the administration of Late Lateef Kayode Jakande. The university offers diploma, degree and post graduate programmes, including an MBA programme. LASU was ranked among the top 600 universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2020. On 23 June 2021, LASU emerged as the best young university in Nigeria having been below the age of 50 years to be added. Times Higher Education ranked the Lagos State University as the second best university in Nigeria on 2 September 2020, and was the only state university included in the rankings for 2022. The university has attracted international funding, including for the establishment of a World Bank Group Africa Centre for Excellence on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

## History

The university was initially conceived as a multi-campus, non-residential university. It operates a multi-campus system with four fully owned campuses having its main campus at Ojo (along the Badagry Expressway) and other campuses at Epe (where the Faculties of Engineering and the Faculty of Agriculture are located), Ikeja (where the College of Medicine is located).
A 300-seat theatre hall is under construction at the school's main campus in Ojo by the Awori Welfare Association of Nigeria (AWAN). The project site is opposite the Babatunde Raji Fashola Senate House. It is flanked by a new library building, which is still under construction, and the existing student affairs building. When finished, the building will serve as a lecture hall for students with offices and secretariat.
The university began with three faculties: Commerce and Business Administration, Law and Medicine. The Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration was changed to the Faculty of Business and Social Studies at its first meeting the board. The faculties of Arts, Education, Engineering, social sciences, Management sciences and Science, Communication and Media studies, School of transport were added later.

## Epe campus

The Epe campus is located on the north side of the Lekki Lagoon and houses the Faculty of Engineering, School of Agriculture, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, school of pre-degree Studies, and diploma programs. The Epe campus is fully residential, and was developed because the Ojo campus could not accommodate the Faculty of Engineering as population became larger. The campus was converted from military barracks that were released by the persuasion of the then military governor in the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. The campus is home for the school's pre-degree studies and diploma programs, and is the largest property belonging to the school, larger than the main campus.
The Epe campus has an information commons that could be referred to as the library. The modern building was built and commissioned in the later part of 2008 by the then Chairman of the Governing Council, Mr Kekere-Ekun (OFR). It has a sitting capacity of 400 in its reading area with seating for 100 in the free wifi-connected E-library section. The Epe library offers information services to the students and staff of the university and works in collaboration with the faculty to deliver best teaching, learning and research experience that is comparable to other higher learning institutions in the country. The library's administrative head on the campus is known as the Head of Library, who takes directives from the University Librarian at the Main Campus, Ojo.
Six departments of Faculty of Engineering are based at the Epe campus: Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Industrial and system Engineering, which was added in 2021.
The Epe campus is being governed by a head of campus (H.O.C.) who has a similar role to a vice-chancellor, and supervises academic and non-academic activities on the campus. The School of Agriculture has its dean and the Faculty of Engineering. The school is generally administered by the vice-chancellor who has his seat at the main campus, Ojo. The campus produces a candidate for the post of vice president, welfare director, and assistant general secretary in its student union government representing the university campus at the main campus; Ojo. The current head of campus for the EPE campus is Professor R.O. Okuneye who started his tenure in the year 2021. The campus also runs postgraduate programs across the three old engineering departments namely: Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering. For an academically conducive environment, the campus does not rely on the public power grid but owns an alternative power source. The campus generator is powered for both the student's hostels, lecture rooms, and staff quarters. A few years back, the Army arrived and now occupy some parts of the university structures.

## Programme

Areas of education and research offered by the Institution are summarized in the table below:
| Faculty | Departments / Programmes / Centres / Institutes |
| Faculty of Arts | Foreign Languages (French, Russian, Arabic and Portuguese) English Language English Literature Linguistics, African Studies and Asian Studies Department of Philosophy Department of History and International studies Creative Arts: Visual Arts Creative Arts: Theatre Arts Creative Arts: Music |
| Faculty of Social Sciences | Department of Economics Department of Political Science Department of Geography and Planning Department of Social Work Department of Psychology Department of Criminology and Security Studies Department of Sociology Public and International Affairs Transportation Planning and Management |
| Faculty of Management Sciences | Business Administration Industrial Relations and Personnel Management Insurance Accounting Banking and Finance Project Management Technology Marketing Public Administration |
| Faculty of Law | Jurisprudence and International Law Commercial and Industrial law Public Law Islamic Law Private and Property Law Legal Studies |
| Faculty of Science | Department of Mathematics Department of Physics Department of Chemistry Department of Computer Science Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology Department of Fisheries Department of Botany Department of Microbiology |
| Faculty of Engineering | Chemical and Polymer Engineering Electronic and Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Civil Engineering Industrial and system Engineering |
| Faculty of Clinical Sciences | Medicine and Surgery Dentistry Pharmacology Nursing |
| Faculty of Education | Guidance and Counseling Adult Education Adult Education Management Adult Literacy and Non-formal Education Mathematics education Physics education Biology education Chemistry education Integrated Science education Social Studies education Geography Education History Education Human Kinetics and Health Education Exercise Physiology Sports Administration/Management Home Economics Education Technology education Business Education English Education English Literature education French Education Yoruba Education Christian Religious Studies Islamic Studies Education Religion Education Music education Curriculum Theory Educational administration and Planning Educational Psychology Philosophy of education Sociology of education |
| Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences | Physiology Biochemistry |
| School of communication | Broadcasting Journalism Public relations and advertising |
| School of transport | *Transport management and operations |
The two stream system was introduced in 2019 by Vice Chancellor Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, who said that the innovation would to provide handicraft knowledge to students, would add value to their knowledge base and would encourage self-employment.

## Campus radio station

The campus radio station LASU Radio (95.7 FM) is located on the university's main Ojo campus. It was founded in 2016.

## Vice Chancellor

The Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University is the executive head of the university. Upon the VC's appointment by the Governor of Lagos State, the VC has the overall responsibility for the policy and administration of the university.
Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello is the ninth substantive vice-chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), she assumed duty on Wednesday, 22 September 2021.
Prof. Olatunji-Bello was appointed the 9th Substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University on 16 September 2021 succeeding Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun whose tenure ended on 11 January 2021.
The Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo has started its work-study program with a group of ten students studying various courses as a pilot set.The plan is one of the administration's six-cardinal priorities, according to Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the university's current Vice-Chancellor.

### Former Vice Chancellors

* Folabi Olumide (1983–1988)
* Jadesola Akande (1989–1993)
* Enitan Bababunmi (1993–1996)
* Fatiu Ademola Akesode (1997–2001)
* Abisogun Leigh (2001–2005)
* Abdul Lateef A. Hussein (2005–2011)
* John Obafunwa (2011–2015)
* Olanrewaju Fagbohun (2016–2021)
* Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello (2021–present)

## Notable alumni

* Oluranti Adebule, former Deputy governor Lagos State.
* Chris Ayebusiwa, politician
* Eniola Badmus, Actress.
* Brymo, singer and songwriter.
* Chioma Chukwuka, musician, actress
* Liz Da-Silva, actress
* Tunji Disu, Police officer
* Yinka Durosinmi, former chairman of Ojo local government
* Ada Ogochukwu Ehi, singer.
* Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, traditional ruler
* Jennifer Eliogu, actress.
* Desmond Elliot, actor, producer and politician.
* Tara Fela-Durotoye, celebrity make-up artist
* Yusuf Haroun, medical doctor
* Annie Macaulay-Idibia, actress
* Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
* Tajudeen Obasa, current member of the National Assembly
* Tunde Obe
* Angela Okorie, Nigerian actress
* Olaide Olaogun, Nigerian film actress and model.
* Yinka Olukunga, actress
* Cossy Orjiakor, actress, singer, socialite
* Tope Oshin, Nigerian television and film director.
* Ruggedman, rapper
* Rukky Sanda, actress
* Sound Sultan, singer and songwriter(1976–2021)
* Dolly Unachukwu, actress
* Farida Waziri, former EFCC chairman
* Wizkid, singer and songwriter
* Sodiq Abubakar Yusuf, singer
* Lolo1, radio presenter

## Library

The Lagos State University Library is also known as Fatiu Ademola Akesode. It was established along with the institution and started its operation in 1983.
The units or departments, in the library include:
* Readers Services
* Technical services
* Collection Development
* Reference services
* E-library (Online) services
* Circulation department

## Notable faculty

* Fatiu Ademola Akesode
* Charles Ayo
* Robert Ajayi Boroffice
* Sola Fosudo
* Yemi Osinbajo

## Achievements

Lagos State University was once the 2nd best University in Nigeria in the 2021 world University ranking. It ranks amongst 501st to 600th Universities on the World ranking 2021 and 801st to 1000th on the impact rankings 2021. In 2022,the university produced a Law student with CGPA of 5.0. In the 2024 ranking of the AD Scientific Index Ranking, LASU was named the best state university in Nigeria for the third consecutive year

## Gallery

* Lagos State University campus
* University gate
* Abisogun Leigh science building
* Department of Theater, Art and Music
* Enitan Bababunmi science laboratory
* Faculty of Education
* School of Transport
* Response center for sexual and Gender based violence
* Center for planning
* Students' Arcade
* Senate Building
* ECO Market
* Law Clinic Ojo
* Main Printing Press Building
* Okoya-Thomas Sports Hall