LASU Vice-Chancellor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello's Impact

Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello concluded her term as the ninth substantive Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) in October 2023, after a five-year tenure that began in September 2021. A trained physiologist, she secured full accreditation for 31 out of 37 academic programmes within her first year, and by the end of her term, all 80 to 81 programmes had achieved full accreditation.

She oversaw the establishment of three new faculties, two new schools, and 20 additional courses, increasing annual student intake from approximately 5,000 to 13,000. LASU became Nigeria's most applied-to university in 2025 and 2026, receiving over 85,000 applications.

Olatunji-Bello also introduced Nigeria's first university Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy in July 2022 and initiated over 50 infrastructure projects, including the Babajide Sanwo-Olu Library Complex and the Tunji Bello Auditorium. Under her leadership, LASU topped the UI GreenMetric list as the Best University in West Africa for four consecutive years and was ranked the second-best public university in Sub-Saharan Africa by Times Higher Education in 2024.