The University of Lagos has called for the provision of special grants to all higher institutions across the country with a view to further developing capacities and promoting virtual learning platforms.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Academics; Professor Oluwole Familoni made the call while presenting the University’s Score card for the 2019/2020 First Semester Online Lectures and Examinations.
Prof. Familoni told Journalists who converged for the Press briefing which held at the University’s Senate Chamber that the e-learning which came at a huge cost to the University of Lagos due to the unpreparedness and the shocks of the global pandemic, has become a more viable platform to conduct large examinations without large convergence, reduce paper works and its attendant costs as well as forestall health hazards to staff, students and other stakeholders which could arise through physical contacts.
Giving a breakdown of the virtual examinations conducted during the outgone first semester window, The Deputy Vice-Chancellor said a total of 13,735 students took the University’s Postgraduate qualifying examinations while 19,386 students took the University’s Post UTME screening test.
He added that all 100 and 200 level students of the University numbering 161,500, took their first semester examinations online, the 48 visually impaired students of the University had theirs at the Distance Learning Institute E-Resource Centre of the University while students in 300, 400 and 500 levels were scheduled for physical examinations which held under strict compliance with COVD-19 protocols.
Prof. Familoni noted that huge efforts and resources went into upgrading the University’s ICT infrastructure and internet connectivity across campus, Proctors were provided during the online examinations to ensure its integrity just as each student was also supported with between 3.5 to 10 gigabytes of data for their examinations, efforts which he said, ate deeply into the University’s meagre resources.
As the University is set to commence its Second Semester for the 2019/2020 academic session from Monday May 10, 2021, The DVC announced the institution’s readiness to fully reopen its hostels to students.
He reeled out guidelines for admitting students into their respective hostels as spelt out by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and warned that the University of Lagos will not tolerate any act which could lead to overcrowding of hostels or unrestricted physical contacts which could jeopardize students’ health and safety.
In his remarks, The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Professor Ademola Adeleke noted that all hostels across the University’s three campuses have been fumigated while steady water supply and hand washing points have been provided.
While acknowledging the insufficiency of hostel accommodation for the entire UNILAG students’ population, Prof. Adeleke warned that squatting would be prevented to avoid overcrowding of available spaces.
Commenting on the level of preparedness for any unforeseen security challenge, The Dean charged students to always be security conscious while on and around the campus environment just as he implored them to take advantage of the secured lines and Emergency Mobile Applications which have been provided by the University to ensure their safety.
