LASU: Reflections As Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello Marks 4 Years As VC

Not each of america tin bash large things. But we tin bash tiny things with large love.” – Mother Teresa
On Sunday 21st September 2025, the precise dynamic Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, mni, NPOM volition people her 4th day successful office. If this were pre-2016, she would either beryllium clearing her table to return, amid large ovation, to her bureau successful the Department of Physiology astatine the College of Medicine oregon beryllium getting acceptable for a 2nd word successful office. But nether the azygous five-year tenure argumentation introduced successful January 2016, she present begins the last twelvemonth of her eventful administration, 1 focused connected consolidating gains already made.

Much has been said and written astir however her enactment has transformed some the carnal and world scenery of LASU – a communicative that needs nary retelling. Yet, successful my considered opinion, her astir profound interaction connected the 43-year-old instauration lies not simply successful the disposable and concrete, but successful the intangible: acts of love, sacrifice, and heavy devotion that often flight notice. Her enactment has been defined by what I would picture arsenic altruistic stakeholdership – the condemnation that LASU is, for her, not conscionable an instauration to administer but a idiosyncratic and household project. There are leaders who prosecute bureau for the perks and appurtenances it confers, and determination are those who clasp it arsenic a telephone to selfless devotion. She belongs firmly to the latter. I volition item 4 examples that are successful the nationalist abstraction to exemplify this.
The archetypal and astir caller is the donation of the state-of-the-art Olatunji Bello Auditorium successful Epe Campus by erstwhile Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, and existent Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) boss, Hon. Tunji Bello, who happens to beryllium her husband. At the commissioning of the imposing edifice successful August this year, Hon. Tunji Bello recounted how, successful 2021, portion reflecting connected however champion to people his 60th birthday, his wife, who was not adjacent the VC astatine the time, mildly urged him to forgo the fanfare of a expansive solemnisation and alternatively acquisition LASU a befitting edifice that would basal arsenic a lasting legacy.

Initially daunted by the sizeable outgo of specified a venture, helium hesitated. Yet, buoyed by her encouragement and conviction, helium embraced the vision, and today, that noble determination stands enshrined successful chromatic and memory. Matthew 6:21: “For wherever your treasure is, determination your bosom volition beryllium also”, sets a theological instauration for these acts revealing that the Olatunji-Bello family’s treasure alternatively than being locked distant successful backstage vaults oregon displayed successful idiosyncratic monuments, is invested successful the dreams and futures of young radical who volition walk done those auditorium doors for decades to come.

But the Olatunji-Bello Auditorium was not adjacent the family’s archetypal idiosyncratic concern successful LASU. For the past 14 years, since 2011, Hon. Tunji Bello has, softly and without fanfare, sustained an yearly ₦100,000 endowment for superb but indigent students graduating from 5 faculties and programmes: Engineering, Social Sciences, Mass Communication, Law, and the MBBS Degree Programme, awarded during LASU’s yearly Convocations. In 2017, Professor Olatunji-Bello complemented this motion with her ain ₦2.5 cardinal endowment fund, from which an yearly prize of ₦100,000 is shared betwixt the champion graduating students successful MBBS and Physiology.

There is simply a 3rd proof. In the aforesaid 2017, portion already being a professor, Prof. Olatunji-Bello enrolled for a Postgraduate Diploma successful Education astatine the Lagos State University School of Postgraduate Studies and graduated successful 2018, a bold testament of her content successful the University. If my records are correct, she is the archetypal and lone sitting VC successful LASU past to person been an alumnus.

The imprimatur of the VC’s love-driven enactment reaches adjacent further back. Between July and December, 2010, and January and October 2011 erstwhile she served arsenic Acting Vice-Chancellor for a cumulative of conscionable implicit a year, she near an indelible people done respective welfarist initiatives for unit and the initiation of landmark projects specified arsenic the LASU Students’ Arcade and LASU Radio. Of note, the connection for the operation of a caller Senate Building and a main University Library – 2 structures that contiguous basal arsenic enduring symbols of LASU’s architectural improvement – was archetypal made during her little stint successful office, erstwhile she presented the thought to the past Visitor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola.

As providence would person it, it is during her substantive tenure arsenic Vice-Chancellor that the expansive Arcade, the largest successful immoderate West African university, was completed and commissioned. While the Babatunde Raji Fashola Senate Building has already been commissioned and enactment to use, the six-storey University Library will, successful jus...