By Ghazali Ibrahim
Concerns have been raised over the ongoing process to appoint a new Vice Chancellor for Lagos State University (LASU), with a former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Olatunji Abanikanda warning that any attempt to favour a less-qualified candidate over more experienced professors could undermine the institution’s academic integrity and governance.
In a detailed commentary on the succession process, Abanikanda argued that appointing an unqualified Vice Chancellor would amount to “institutional violence” against a university whose core mission is the pursuit and advancement of knowledge.
The professor contended that LASU possesses a large pool of qualified professors capable of leading the institution, questioning what he described as efforts to narrow the field of potential candidates despite the availability of highly experienced academics.
According to data presented in the commentary, LASU had 275 professors as of the first quarter of 2026. While 70 are expected to have reached the age limit by the time the new Vice Chancellor assumes office on September 20, 2026, about 180 professors would still be eligible based on age requirements.
The academic noted that among the eligible professors, 28 have at least 10 years of post-professorial experience, while many others have served in key leadership positions such as heads of departments, deans and directors of academic centres.
He questioned why the eligibility criteria for the position appeared to favour candidates with fewer years of post-professorial experience, urging the university authorities to clearly define and justify the requirements for the office.
The commentary also recalled the controversy that surrounded the appointment of the incumbent Vice Chancellor, which prompted Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as Visitor to the university, to cancel the selection exercise over alleged violations of established guidelines.
The intervention led to the removal of the then Pro-Chancellor, the dissolution of the Governing Council and disciplinary action against the Registrar.
Abanikanda warned that bypassing qualified candidates could trigger a decline in staff morale, weaken research output, encourage brain drain and damage the university’s reputation nationally and internationally.
He argued that when merit is perceived to have been sacrificed for political, ethnic or personal considerations, academics may lose confidence in the institution’s leadership, while students and external stakeholders could begin to question the value of the university’s degrees and research.
He further alleged that weak leadership could lead to governance failures, including politicised appointments, weakened academic standards and the emergence of patronage networks within the university system.
Despite the concerns, the writer expressed confidence in the current Governing Council, describing its members as accomplished professionals capable of safeguarding the university’s interests and ensuring a transparent selection process.
He urged the Governing Council, the Lagos State Ministry of Tertiary Education, the National Universities Commission and other stakeholders to ensure that the next Vice Chancellor emerges through a merit-based process that prioritises competence, experience and adherence to university regulations.
According to him, the future reputation and development of LASU depend largely on the quality of leadership entrusted with steering the institution in the coming years.
