…holds 2026 Younger Alumni Stakeholders Engagement Programme
In a bold move to accelerate its transformation agenda and secure a sustainable funding base, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has unveiled a N5 billion endowment and development fund under its Akokite Vision 200 initiative.
The launch was the highlight of the university’s 2026 Younger Alumni Stakeholders Engagement Programme, underscoring efforts aimed at engaging young alumni in oil and gas, technology and finance to strengthen alumni relations, build partnerships and support the university.
Folasade Ogunsola, vice-chancellor at UNILAG, speaking at the event on Friday, disclosed that the vision of the university is to build the most innovative and entrepreneurial university in Africa, rank among the top 200 universities in the world, and become an institution that nurtures enquiring minds who challenge the status quo.
“Our vision is simple to say and demanding to achieve: to build the most innovative and entrepreneurial university in Africa, one that ranks among the top 200 universities in the world, and that nurtures enquiring minds who challenge the status quo.
“We’re launching Akokite Vision 200: a campaign to raise N5 billion to establish an endowment and development fund for the whole university,” she said.
Buttressing her vision of transforming UNILAG into the most innovative and entrepreneurial university in Africa, the vice-chancellor emphasised that it takes people like young alumni and stakeholders to achieve such a goal.
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Referring to the walls of the MAD House, venue of the event constructed with shipping containers, she said, “These walls are built from shipping containers.
“Someone looked at a stack of steel boxes and saw a place where ideas could live. That is the mindset of this university: we take what is raw, and we make it remarkable. We challenge the status quo.”
Moreover, Ogunsola noted that to achieve the arduous goal, the university has carved out a creed tagged FIRM. “Finance. Infrastructure. Reputation. Manpower. Together they spell FIRM, and that is how this university intends to stand.
“An endowment is a gift that keeps giving; the principal is invested and protected, and its returns serve the university year after year, long after any of us has left office. You are not funding one year, you’re shaping the next fifty,” she noted.
The vice-chancellor challenged the young alumni to see themselves as the reason for the gathering, and change the status quo.
“To our young alumni especially: you’re the heart of this evening. This university taught you to enquire. Tonight, I invite you to challenge the status quo. The status quo says that someone else will build this university’s future. I say that someone is in this room.
“Tell your classmates, colleagues and companies. Make this campaign yours. We will report to you regularly, because accountability is the foundation of trust,” she said.
Bayo Ojo, chairman of the advancement board of the 2026 Young Alumni Stakeholders Programme at the University of Lagos, noted that the advancement board exists for one purpose: to bring together people who love UNILAG and help it become all it can be.
“Governments lay a foundation. Alumni build upon it, and this university is not standing still,” he stated.
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Besides, he said that under the leadership of Ogunsola, as the vice-chancellor, the university has a clear and ambitious vision: to become the most innovative and entrepreneurial university in Africa, nurturing enquiring minds who challenge the status quo.
Though the vision may seem too ambitious to some people, he said the evidence of its achievability can be seen in the MAD House, where the unimaginable was made a reality.
“The evidence is in this building, and in the hub gallery you will visit tonight, where young innovators are already turning ideas into ventures. “However, ambition without support is only a wish. A vision becomes real when people stand behind it,” he noted.
He urged the young alumni to celebrate, connect and commit, while he applauded the senior alumni, partners and friends of the university for their experience and example, which he said matter more than they could imagine.
“The young people in this room are watching how you show up for the university,” he emphasised.
As part of the engagement, members of the university management and stakeholders embarked on a tour of selected facilities and innovation platforms, where they were introduced to research outputs, tech solutions and entrepreneurial initiatives emerging from UNILAG’s innovation ecosystem.
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