Funmi Ogundare, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) honoured Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, alongside 44 other individuals for their contributions to higher education. The recognition formed part of NANS' 45th anniversary celebrations, held at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, where Olatunji-Bello was described as a humane and people-focused administrator. She has earned the nickname 'Senior Abiyamo of Nigeria' among LASU students due to her welfare-oriented leadership style. NANS President Olushola Oladoja presented the award, praising her commitment to academic excellence, research, innovation, and human capital development in tertiary education. He stated, "Her recognition highlights the vice-chancellor's leadership and contributions to higher education."
Olatunji-Bello, a professor of Physiology, accepted the award, dedicating it to LASU's over 70,000 students. She credited their obedience, diligence, and academic performance as motivation for her work. The event also honoured other prominent figures, including Adeola Ajayi, Director-General of the Department of State Services; Philip Shaibu, former Deputy Governor of Edo State and Director-General of the National Institute of Sports; Isaac Zeb-Obipi, Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University; and Haruna Musa, Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University.
Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello is celebrated for her humane leadership, yet the same students calling her 'Senior Abiyamo' often protest over poor infrastructure and welfare conditions in public universities. Her recognition rests on shaping young lives, but over 70,000 LASU students still contend with the same systemic underfunding affecting most Nigerian tertiary institutions. If her leadership is transformative, the contradiction lies in how normalised hardship remains for the very students honouring her.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
