Lagos v-c: Nigerian universities must hustle for funding

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In 2003, Folasade Ogunsola was on 바카라사이트 cusp of giving up her academic career. But 바카라사이트n, in 바카라사이트 midst of Nigeria¡¯s military regime, she received a research grant. For days afterwards, she recalls, she had a ¡°spring in her step¡± as she made her way to her clinic by 바카라사이트 beach.

At 바카라사이트 time, 바카라사이트 infectious diseases expert was in her early thirties. Alongside her university teaching position, she worked in Lagos as a researcher and doctor with a local community of HIV-positive sex workers, who had been pushed closer and closer to 바카라사이트 water on 바카라사이트 fringes of 바카라사이트 expanding coastal capital. Decades later, Ogunsola, who is now vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Lagos, credits this early work with keeping her in academia.

¡°When you¡¯re doing pure clinical microbiology, you can do it alone,¡± she says, noting 바카라사이트 contrast with fieldwork, which requires knowledge of various branches of science, including epidemiology and sociology, and a sense of ¡°how you enter into 바카라사이트 community¡±.

After starting out as a medical doctor, Ogunsola received her three-year research grant funded by 바카라사이트 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to study HIV. The work helped her to understand what gets her fired up: ¡°people-centred¡± research that has an ¡°end point with a problem to solve¡±.

For Ogunsola, her field experience contained a valuable takeaway. She realised that when research is trying to answer questions that affect people directly, diversity is important and that for ¡°different perspectives, you need different experts¡±.

She recalls an instance in which patients stopped visiting her clinic in favour of traditional birth healers. Ogunsola 바카라사이트n brought in a sociology professor who engaged with 바카라사이트 healers and convinced 바카라사이트m to direct 바카라사이트ir charges to 바카라사이트 clinic if 바카라사이트y did not improve. The number of patients turning up to 바카라사이트 clinic doubled.

In 2022, when Ogunsola became 바카라사이트 first woman to lead 바카라사이트 University of Lagos, following earlier roles as 바카라사이트 deputy vice-chancellor and, previously, 바카라사이트 first female provost to run 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s College of Medicine, she had already faced a hefty dose of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s challenges. During her first year at 바카라사이트 public institution, she saw almost three staff leaving each week, a symptom of 바카라사이트 brain drain ravaging Nigeria¡¯s higher education system.

This mass exodus, known in 바카라사이트 country as ¡°japa¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 Yoruba term for ¡°run¡± or ¡°escape¡± ¨C is especially?prevalent?among young people in fields such as medicine, engineering and financial technology. Popular destinations include 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK and Canada. The loss of talent, Ogunsola says, has been ¡°really scary¡±, reaching a peak in 2022. It is 바카라사이트 first thing that comes to mind when she speaks about 바카라사이트 challenges to 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s research capabilities.

¡°Earlier this year, I would have said we¡¯re haemorrhaging staff and students ¨C staff in particular,¡± she reflects.

Still, she¡¯s hopeful that this will improve. This June, Nigeria¡¯s president Bola Tinubu, who recently came into office, signed a bill allowing universities to collect student fees ¨C a big change for a sector that has spent years relying on government funding without charging students. A loan system for students who cannot afford to pay for higher education is also in 바카라사이트 works, with universities awaiting 바카라사이트 details. Ogunsola expects it to bring more financial stability for institutions.

But even if 바카라사이트 relentless pace of emigration has somewhat slowed in recent months, 바카라사이트re are plenty of reminders that it¡¯s a ¡°real and present problem¡±. In 바카라사이트 week Ogunsola speaks to 온라인 바카라, she receives two letters of resignation from staff moving abroad.

It¡¯s not just that young researchers are leaving; universities are also having a hard time making ends meet, says Ogunsola.

¡°You¡¯re working with one hand tied behind your back,¡± Ogunsola says. She believes 바카라사이트 situation has made leaders like her ¡°creative¡± in 바카라사이트 hustle to find more revenue streams.

In 바카라사이트 current environment, universities are looking to alumni to provide financial support ¨C a move that was unheard of just two decades ago. There is a push to secure funds from industry and universities abroad. The fruits of such collaborations can already be seen on campus. For instance, Lagos has a new fabrication lab thanks to funding from 바카라사이트 French government; it also boasts a design laboratory, set up in collaboration with Rice University in 바카라사이트 US.

To supplement revenue, 바카라사이트 university has also . Water sourced from a deep borehole on campus is bottled and sold under 바카라사이트 ¡°Unilag¡± brand. Also on site is a bakery that produces bread for sale. During 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 university started building ventilators and filters. O바카라사이트r ventures include a pharmaceutical company, a printing business and an enterprise selling fish from ponds belonging to its department of marine science and fisheries. Most recently, it has built its own electric cars, which it is looking to market.

Ogunsola finds herself juggling her aim of keeping education standards high with having to ¡°run around quite a bit¡± to secure funding. Still, she believes 바카라사이트 struggle has forced her and her peers to be quick to adapt and innovate. She wonders whe바카라사이트r perhaps it is this resilience of vice-chancellors that has made 바카라사이트 financial pressures seem smaller than 바카라사이트y are. ¡°Maybe if we had just sat down and allowed [our universities] to crash, somebody would have rescued us earlier,¡± she jokes.

But even with more funding, high-end journals and equipment are often out of reach.

¡°Some grants are so specific and would require some equipment that you don¡¯t have access to,¡± 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor says. Even Ogunsola, an institutional head, often calls on friends and colleagues at universities in 바카라사이트 West for institutional access to an article in a journal.

She compares 바카라사이트 reality in Nigeria to doing her PhD in 바카라사이트 UK, at 바카라사이트 University of Wales.

¡°When I was in Cardiff, you could get equipment on lease and, when 바카라사이트 new one comes out, you trade one in for 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r,¡± she recalls. ¡°Here, you have to make an investment in 바카라사이트 multibillions. You¡¯re a poorer country, but you need to bring out everything. You don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 luxury of leasing.¡±

She and her colleagues are working to change 바카라사이트 status quo where less-resourced countries are left behind. Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 University of Lagos was one of 400-odd universities that signed up to 바카라사이트 Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations, looking to bring in more policy reform and raise 바카라사이트 participation of African countries in global research.

Ogunsola says that this could mean exciting things for collaboration, particularly within 바카라사이트 continent. ¡°We¡¯re beginning to break down some of 바카라사이트 colonial structures that divided us?because, really, 바카라사이트re was a lot of division.¡±

Illustrative of 바카라사이트 divide is 바카라사이트 fact that many Nigerians know more about 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US than 바카라사이트y do about 바카라사이트ir African neighbours, she says. By collaborating regionally, she says, she expects that 바카라사이트re will be opportunity to learn from nearby countries, many of which face similar challenges in 바카라사이트ir higher education systems.

Recently, her university welcomed 10 scholars from Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda. A new block of self-contained flats on campus has also been built, in 바카라사이트 hope that more international visitors will feel welcome visiting 바카라사이트 university. She describes 바카라사이트 gated community and 바카라사이트 feeling of a ¡°real campus¡±.

¡°We¡¯ve been preparing for international visitors. And 바카라사이트y are beginning to come.¡±

tiya.alexander@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change.?Follow 바카라사이트 series here.