Prof. Musa Obalola, dean of the Student Affairs Division at the University of Lagos, has reassured students that the administration will assist them in making up for lost time with minimal stress.
Wednesday in Lagos, Obalola provided the guarantee during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He was speaking against the backdrop of the institution’s resumption of academic activity after an eight-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
ASUU demanded, among other things, renegotiation of the agreement it signed with the Federal Government in 2009, cash for the revitalization of public universities, and earned academic allowances.
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On October 14, the union called off the strike and instructed its members to return to work.
On October 24, the University of Lagos began academic activity.
Professor of Risk Management and Insurance Obalola reported that the institution’s instructors had responded positively to the request for a return to classes.
According to him, the university’s academic operations began with academic adjustments.
schedule prior to reopening.
The academic calendar, according to the dean, explicitly specifies the lecture, review, and assessment periods.
“The university started lectures on Monday, October 24.
“We expect our students to be in high spirit and settle down for studies to cover what they need to cover.
“For most courses or programs, the students were almost finishing their course outlines before the strike. In fact, some have even finished.
“What some of them are going to do now is just revision. Some, who still need about one or two weeks to finish, have been given two weeks to do that and will have one-week lecture-free.
“I know it could not have been easy for them staying at home for about eight months; boredom and all must have set in; only very few of them could have been reading,” Obalola told NAN.
On the condition of school facilities after an extended period, the dean acknowledged that there were obstacles.
He stated that some of the infrastructures required immediate maintenance.
According to him, the university is making every effort to establish a suitable environment for teaching and learning.
Obalola stated that limited housing facilities were one of the university’s main obstacles.
For example, hostel facilities are strained. We must accommodate our students despite the numerous competing demands for our attention.”
According to him, the university has 8,800 beds to accommodate approximately 62,000 students.
“For a four-man room, where we should expect to have just four students, it is not practicable because of deficit in infrastructure.
“Each bed will have not less than 4 persons to cater for, making the total number to be 16. You can imagine the stress on such a facility.
“Almost on a daily basis, we have to repair one thing or the other.
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Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, vice chancellor of the institution, has expressed delight at the return of students to campus.
He told reporters that all hands were on deck to ensure that students and instructors made up as much time as possible.
According to him, despite infrastructure difficulties, the university is doing everything possible to meet the demands of its students.
“We want to welcome our students back on campus. It feels good to have them around after such a long time.
“We have carried out fumigation and major repairs.
Ogundipe told NAN, “Having said this, I will not tell you that there are no more challenges but we are working round the clock to ensure that students feel relaxed and hit the ground running,”
Dr. Oloyede Adeola of the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics stated that students in their final year were ready to complete their studies.
“We all feel bad about the strike; they cannot be final-year students forever.
“These are our children and we are their parents, but we want the best for the system so that by the time they leave, they will not leave poultry cages as classrooms.
Deputy Dean Adeola stated that all that is asked of them now that they are back is to remain focused.
Mr. Olusakin Olusegun, a senior in the Computer Science Department, remarked that they have no choice anymore.
“There was a strike but we must graduate and that means working as hard as we possibly can.”
