Ten Facts About UNILAG You Did Not Know
The University of Lagos, also known by its acronym UNILAG, is widely regarded as one of the country's most prestigious federally funded tertiary institutions. During the UTME registration process, it grants admission to more than 9,000 first-year students annually, which represents approximately 10 percent of the total number of applications received.
The University of Lagos is home to a plethora of facts that are not only remarkable but also fascinating. Here are the top ten most interesting facts about the University of Lagos, in case you've ever been curious about the institution and wanted to learn more about it.
1. The three campuses are all sited within the same location.
There are three campuses that make up the University of Lagos. The main campus can be found in Akoka, and the campus that houses the college of Medicine can be found in Surulere. Yaba is also the location of one of its campuses. This was just made a short while ago.
However, despite having three campuses that are operational, all three of them are situated on the mainland area of Lagos, which is quite incredible.
2. The radio station at the university was the pioneering establishment of its kind.
The University of Lagos was the first university in Nigeria to either start its own radio station or to own one already operating. Students who were enrolled in classes such as distance learning and mass communication were the target audience for the educational efforts of the radio station.
If you have ever listened to UNILAG 103.1 FM, then you should be aware that it was established in 2004 and is completely managed by the University of Lagos. Also, you should be aware that it broadcasts in the English language.
Students at the university have benefited from increased knowledge as well as experience and opportunities that they would not have had access to in the absence of the radio.
3. The university has expanded from having three faculties to having a total of twelve faculties.
When it first opened its doors in 1962, the University of Lagos consisted of only three Faculties. These faculties were the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Law, and the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, which later became the Faculty of Business and Social Studies. The Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration was one of these faculties. When it first opened its doors in 1962, the University was a small institution, but it has since experienced phenomenal expansion.
At the moment, the University is comprised of a total of 14 academic units, which are broken down as follows: 10 Faculties, 1 College, and 3 Schools. Clinical sciences, dental sciences, medical sciences, and pharmacy are all located within the College of Medicine, which is the name of the college.
There is also a school for distance learning and a center for human rights and African regional integration among the schools. In addition to this, it has twelve different faculties, including the faculties of law, pharmacy, science, social sciences, arts, education, engineering, business administration, dental sciences, and environmental sciences.
4. It Runs a Special Type of Scholarship
Scholarships are available to graduate and post-graduate students at the University of Lagos, provided the students meet the university's requirements. Even though the University of Lagos participates in a number of different scholarship and grant programs, the university also operates its very own unique scholarship program.
Endowment grants, which can be as high as 500 million Naira each, are used as the primary source of funding for this program. More than two hundred students receive financial assistance from the university each year as part of a specialized scholarship program.
5. It was one of the first universities established in Nigeria.
One of the first universities in Nigeria to open its doors was the University of Lagos. The Ashby Commission, which was established in 1948, suggested the establishment of universities in Nigeria. There are now five universities in existence. The University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ahmadu Bello University, the University of Nigeria at Nsukka, and the University of Lagos were the institutions in question.
In spite of the fact that it was one of the first universities to be established in Nigeria, The University of Lagos has maintained a high level of growth and has established itself as one of the leading tertiary institutions in the nation. According to a number of different publications, it held the position of being one of the best universities in the entire world. It is currently ranked as the country's second-best university in its respective field.
6. In 2012, there was serious consideration given to changing the name of the university.
The then-president of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, made an effort in the year 2012 to change the name of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University. The current name of the university is the University of Lagos. The concept was conceived in memory of Moshood Abiola, a political prisoner who passed away in the year 1998.
Students at the university as well as the alumni of the university did not take kindly to this development. A number of demonstrations were held until the idea was abandoned, at which point the university continued to operate under its original name.
7. The University of Lagos Has Been Recognized As A Top Institution By A Number Of Respected Publications
The University of Lagos has been ranked as one of the best universities in Africa and Nigeria by multiple publications, including Forbes and NUSAMA.
In 2008, the National University Commission (NUC) recognized the University as having the highest standard of excellence among Nigeria's educational institutions. This was done at the Annual Merit Award Ceremony of the Nigerian University System (NUSAMA).
In the year 2020, Forbes Magazine ranked the university as the third most productive African university in terms of teaching students the skills necessary to be successful entrepreneurs. She followed the University of Cape Town and the University of Makere.
8. The University of Lagos was the first academic institution to be granted permission to broadcast on television.
In the field of the media, UNILAG was an innovator at an early stage. The University is consistently breaking new ground for the benefit of its students, as evidenced by its ownership of the first campus radio station and its establishment of the first campus television station.
In the year 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari gave his approval to the license that would allow the University of Lagos to run a television station that is active and broadcasting. UnilagTV is the name of the station, and StarTimes Decoders channel 184 is where you can watch it live.
According to the University Management, the objective of the television station is to broaden the students' horizons in terms of their knowledge and experience, as well as to offer novel concepts that can take television broadcasting in Nigeria to an entirely new level.
9. Students at the University of Lagos receive a stipend.
Students who graduate from the University of Lagos with a cumulative grade point average of 4.5 or higher are awarded the sum of N50,000 as a reward for their outstanding academic performance ( Fifty thousand naira). If the student meets the requirement of being in the first class and maintaining a 4.5 cumulative grade point average, then the amount is paid to the student at the conclusion of each session.
The University of Lagos will continue to pay a student the aforementioned amount at the conclusion of each academic session if the student maintains a first-class CGPA throughout the entirety of his or her academic career.
This serves as a kind of incentive and inspiration for students who take their studies seriously and strive to achieve academic excellence. It encourages students to take their classes seriously.
10. There is currently no student union government at the University of Lagos.
Within the confines of the university, the Student Union Body acts as a conduit for the students' collective speech. Despite this, the student union body does not exist at any of Nigeria's educational institutions, including the University of Lagos, which is one of these universities.
At the University of Lagos, the student union body has been expelled on multiple occasions for breaking the rules. However, the most recent ban on it was in 2016, and it came about as a result of a number of student protests; ever since then, the University has not had a student union government.
Conclusion
The University of Lagos is home to a great deal of fascinating history and information. This university was one of the first five universities ever established; it has experienced massive growth, been ranked on major publications, and provides support and encouragement to its student body.
The university also takes pride in some of its peculiarities, such as the fact that it is a university that functions without a student government union.