From Excellence to Distinction: The University of Lagos on World's Intellectual Map

Chapter 10 - FUNERAL ORATIONS/MEMORIAL LECTURE

Chapter 10 FUNERAL ORATIONS/MEMORIAL LECTURE Speech Delivered at the 10th Horatio Oritshejolomi Thomas Memorial Lecture and 10th Anniversary Celebrations of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos 20th November, 2002 at the Old Great Hall, College of Medicine, Idi-Araba I am delighted to welcome you all to the 10th Horatio Oritshejolomi Thomas Memorial Lecture which this year coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos. The Founding Fathers of the University of Lagos Medical School, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and subsequently, the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos including Chief (Dr.) M. A. Majekodunmi, Professor Horatio Oritshejolomi Thomas and Professor Felix O. Dosekun. The Late Professor Horatio Oritshejolomi Thomas was the first Dean of the University of Lagos Medical School, first Provost College of Medicine, first Chairman, University of Lagos Medical School and first Chairman of LUTH Management Board. I also welcome specially our Guest Lecturer, Professor E. O. Adekeye, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. 461 462 From Excellence to Distinction: The UNILAG on World’s Intellectual Map Dr. Horatio Oritshejolomi Thomas was one of the very experienced Medical Educators of the Medical School (as it was then known) we had when it commenced the teaching of its first batch of twenty-eight preclinical students in October, 1962. He along with the late Professor Felix Dosekun spearheaded the building of the facilities of the Medical School including the laboratories and lecture rooms. The late Professor Thomas along with other colleagues established the high standards that the College is noted for. He brought to the College his wealth of experience gained from past positions including the time spent at the University of Ibadan. It is also important to mention that other Nigerian Foundation staff includes Professor Emeritus Akin O. Adesola, Professor Oyin Elebute and her husband Professor E. A. Elebute who is the current Chairman of Court of Governors, Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti and Late Professor P . N. Odunjo. As a University, we are quite appreciative of the contributions of and the high academic standards set by our Founding Fathers as demonstrated by Professor Thomas and we are determined to maintain this tradition. It is our intention to ensure that the University remains a top class institution for the pursuit of excellence in knowledge through learning and research as well as in character and service to humanity. We believe that we will achieve this by providing a conducive teaching, learning, research and development environment where staff and students will interact and compete effectively with their counterparts both nationally and internationally in terms of intellectual competence and zeal to add value to our world. To this end, we have recently opened for use the Pharmacy Block at the College and upgrading the School into a Faculty. This is to expose the programme to the rich interdisciplinary opportunities provided by other Faculties on our main campus. In order to complement our medical programme, the University is strengthening the capacity of the physiotherapy programme Funeral Orations/Memorial Lecture 463 as well as introducing degree programmes in Nursing and Radiography. We have also taken steps to improve teaching facilities in the Department of Pharmacy and Physiotherapy. This year also marks the 40th Anniversary of the University of Lagos and it is our intention to see that we launch the University fully into a technology-driven era. We are pursuing vigorously the installation of our VSAT facility which will make the University an Internet Service Provider (ISP). This will also give our students opportunity to access University libraries all over the world in order for them to update their knowledge. It is also hoped that the development in the area of IT will be used extensively for collaborative learning across our locations (Akoka and Idi-Araba). The University has also established linkages with some Universities abroad e.g. University of Tennessee for the purpose of collaborative research and training in Medical Sciences. Consequently, we shall put in place a competitive University Merit Award Scheme for Research and Teaching leading to Fellowship of the University of Lagos (F.U.L.). This will stimulate and standardise academic productivity and excellence within the community. The CMUL is a very strong research centre of excellence which is internationally competitive and nationally relevant. The CMUL takes about 50% of all research funds provided through the Central...