THISDAYonline

As the authorities and members of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) community roll out the drums to celebrate the institution's 40th anniversary this weekend, they have every reason to click glasses. The institution has come of age.

Established in 1962 following the white paper of the May 1959 Ashby Commission on Post School Certificate and Higher Education in Nigeria, UNILAG has in the past 40 years become one of Nigeria's leading universities. It was established along with the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). Before them was University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), which was established in 1960. All of them were to be independent and award their own degrees from the very beginning.

Among other functions of the university was to assist the individual in the achievement of his full intellectual powers and capacities as well as to assist the community and state in developing the necessary knowledge and research for training the technologists, specialists and profes-sional men and women who are increasingly required in modern society." This philosophy which pervaded the 1959 report of the Commission has guided the development of the university ever since.

The findings and recommendations of the commission also confirmed some of the earlier pronouncements, and tentative 'decisions'. These were that the university should be established in 1962, and the importance of evening courses leading to degrees and of African Studies as well as the need for the urgent constitution of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to co-ordinate activities of Nigerian Universities.

The argument about the nature of the proposed University of Lagos, which the Commission regarded as the most difficult aspect of its work was finally settled. According to available record, the Ashby Commission, for economic and social reasons, had envisaged what would have been 'an unusual institution ' within the Nigerian setting- a thorough urban university without an elaborate campus but a centre of learning located in the heart of central Lagos to ensure the maximum interaction with the urban - and profes-sional community. But the pressure exerted on the UNESCO Commission by the totality of the evidence taken from different parts of the country pointed to a different type of university.

At the end of the day what was preferred was "a complete all encompassing institution with all facilities for academic work and residential accommodation. The argument was that this would be more advantageous in the long run, and would aid the organisation of the work of the university. It was decided to have a centre in central Lagos but an elaborate Campus should be located on the mainland within the Federal territory.

Therefore, the selection of the permanent site for the University was not an easy task. The 'geographical conditions' of the area presented obvious problems and the exercise was made more difficult by the government's stipulation that the site must be within the Federal Territory. For this requirement and dictated by the prevailing rivalry between the federal and regional governments ruled out, at once, consideration of the much better vast expanse of land in nearby areas like Ikeja. Yaba area of Lagos later won the day.

"The situation which confronted the founders of the University of Lagos in respect of land is better appreciated when compared with the much more fortunate position of Ibadan at its inception. It should be recalled that one of the main reasons for the choice of Ibadan and not Lagos as the site of the University College was 'the limitation of space for development in or near Lagos," according to Dr. A.B Aderibigbe.

It was not until after 1980 when the Aderibigbe report on University Landed Property, which revealed the existence of large pieces of dry land separated by 'tongues of swamps that the opening of hitherto deliberately avoided area began. The increased executive capacity of the university, which resulted from the new administration headed by Prof. Akin. O. Adesola as vice-chancellor, the support of the University Council made possible new structures in this neglected area. The second access road, now called the International School Road, the Commercial Road and the International School building belonged to this second phase of the use of university land once regarded immediately unusable.

However, for the foundation students, the building at Baptist Academy on Ikorodu Road on mutually beneficial terms was provided. In addition, the Federal Ministry of Education made available a secondary school originally earmarked for the Idi-Araba area. This school with its grounds suitably modified, became the temporary site. Situated next door to the University Teaching Hospital which was to accommodate the Medical School of the same University, the Idi-Araba Campus provided the sorely needed, if limited, office space and lecture rooms, catering facilities for both staff and students and an Assembly Hall- the future 'Great Hall' of the College of Medicine.

According to reports, the Idi-Araba campus provided a central though temporary focus for the university. It was to this central point that the incipient administration moved, from the four roomed flat at 213A Igbosere Road loaned from the Nigerian Law School. The university remained at Idi-Araba until the first phase of its permanent buildings was ready for occupation in September, 1965.

A unique aspect of the establishment of the University of Lagos, Aderibigbe noted was that it was conceived more or less as two separate institutions: the main university and the medical school as an autonomous unit within the university. "The University of Lagos Act of 1962 made provisions for a provisional Council of eleven members charged with the control of the policy and the superintendence of the property of the university excepting the Medical School. This dichotomy which earned the university some adverse criticisms was to last for the next five years. But more immediate, it set the two dimensional frame-work within which the events of this period could be properly understood.

The university would not have achieved much without the contributions of some eminent academicians and other Nigerians at the early stage of the institution. Dr. E.N.O. Sodeinde, a distinguished medical practitioner and a stickler for procedure was the Chairman of the first Provisional Council. Prof. Eni Njoku was the Vice-Chancellor, having come to this new post from the chair of botany and the deanship of Science at Ibadan. Members representing different parts of the Federation were Lady Kofo Ademola, the first in the long line of distinguished women to serve on the University Council; M.S Graham-Douglas an eminent paediatric surgeon performed the role of honorary consultant to the University Health Services; and Mallam Nuhu Bayero, a Prince of Zaria who in his quiet but effective way was to serve on this and successive councils for the next eighteen years as a member and later as chairman.

The inhabitants of Lagos were separately represented. Mr. S.O. Wey, a prominent member of the Lagos community and the Secretary to the Prime Minister rendered invaluable services to the Council in its most formative period; Chief 1.0. Bajulaiye, the Eletu Odibo of Lagos, the "traditional Prime Minister" to the Oba and a former successful civil servant aided the cause of land acquisition. The link with the Medical School Council was provided by its chairman and Dean of the Medical School, Prof. H. Orishejolomi Thomas.

With the formal inauguration of this Provisional Council on 5th June, 1962 by the Federal Minister of Education, Chief Aja Nwachuku all the preparatory activities of the Ministry came to an end as the Council assumed full control.

The University of Lagos witnesses a co-ordinated pace in both academic and structural development until 1965 when there was a change of the vice chancellor. That also marked the beginning of crisis in the citadel of learning. The reactions which followed the new appointment were all pervading and protracted.

The initial appointment of Prof. Eni Njoku, the first Vice-Chancellor by the Prime Minister in June, 1962, was for a period of three years and in February, 1965 less than three months before its expiration on 31st May, the Council set the stage for making an appointment. Though the incumbent VC was eligible to re contest with others, majority of members of Senate were in no mood to consider any name other than that of Prof. Eni Njoku, though some attempts were made in that regard on the floor of Senate. These members of Senate 'were convinced that failure to appoint the present Vice-Chancellor would be grave, and possibly a fatal blow to the continued successful build-up of the university and so by a majority vote of 15 in favour, 6 against and 2 abstentions Senate recommended that "Dr. Eni Njoku the present Vice-Chancellor, be appointed until normal retiring age." However at the end of the day Dr. S. Biobaku, one of the two persons nominated by a member of Council was accordingly appointed the new Vice- Chancellor. This announcement of the appointment led to a chain of events which split the university from top to bottom. It also divided the Senior Staff Association and the Student Union into two antagonistic camps.

It should be noted that the crisis was not without some measure of physical violence. It was manifested in the final stages in the clashes between the students from the two camps, clashes quelled with massive assistance of the police. The new Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Biobaku, was stabbed after his eventful inaugural address, by a student. The stab inflicted on the Vice-Chancellor would have ended his life.

Despite the crisis, on October 1964, the university continued to grow in academic activities. Four additional faculties had been established-Faculties of Arts, Education, Engineering and Science. Because of the lack of space at the temporary Campus at Idi Araba the Faculties began in borrowed buildings. The Faculties of Arts and Education were housed at the Federal Advanced Teachers College, Akoka, while the Faculties of Science and Engineering were located on the premises of Yaba College of Technology. Although the Faculties of Arts and Science aimed at producing sound graduates in the various subjects, they offered and pursued research in these subjects. They were also to assist the Faculty of Education in the production of graduate teachers sorely needed in the secondary schools. And so in addition to their courses for the B.A. and B.Sc. degrees there was a diploma course taken concurrently with the degree courses.

Professor T.G.O Gbadamosi, writing on the years of development of the institution, said that the years 1962 - 67 were formative years in the life of the university. For example, in September 1965, the university left its temporary abode at Idi-Araba for its magnificent and more permanent home at Akoka. It left behind, for ever, the sad memory of the crisis over the change in the vice-chancellorship.

He said a real new beginning was made at Akoka. Having survived the serious threat to its young existence, the university proceeded to restructure its academic programmes in the interest of efficiency and cost effectiveness as relevance remained the watchword. Due emphasis, he noted was placed on the needs of the professions while the humanities were able to make their contributions. By 1967 the university had a new constitution and, with it, greater hopes for the future. The process of democratising the governance of the university made its first appearance in the elective element in Senate, marking the advent of the non-professorial members. The University of Lagos could justifiably be said to have emerged, in the words of its motto - "In deed and in truth."

Gbadamosi said if 1967 marked the year when the University of Lagos Act was passed, it was 1975 that marked the end of a planning period in the history of the university. During this space of eight years, the university made notable strides in the areas of constitutional, academic and physical development. These, in turn, not only aroused public awareness of, and interest in the university, but have also generated financial and moral support for the institution. Within the university itself, the historian said the developments have been accompanied by a remarkable degree of group consciousness.

According to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibidapo-Obe, the institution has been working with other foreign and local agencies in rebuilding and equipping the university. For example, UNDP has assisted it to equip the computer laboratory, making it one of the modern university laboratories in the country.

To make its 40th anniversary, the institution plans a lecture to be delivered by the Secretary of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan and with President Olusegun Obasanjo in attendance.

Looking back at the metamorphosis and the growth of the institution over the years, the vice chancellor said the university has every reason to toast to its birth day. He said while doing that, the authorities won't loose focus of the daunting challenges and assignment: To make the university the best it can be.