President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed his sadness over last Saturday’s death of the late Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Olatokunbo Sofoluwe.
In a statement signed by the president’s special adviser on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president described the late Sofoluwe as an “accomplished and renowned academic,” lauding him for his achievements both as an academician and an administrator.
According to President Jonathan, Professor Sofoluwe devoted a lot towards the success of the institution he headed as the 12th vice-chancellor, expressing hope that his successor will keep up the standard of Sofoluwe’s leadership.
“While the President hopes that his successors will build on the worthy legacies bequeathed by Professor Sofoluwe, he regrets that his expertise will be greatly missed especially at this time that university administrators are faced with the daunting challenge of making the nation’s universities true citadels of learning and incubators of developmental ideas in order to make them globally competitive,” said the statement from president Jonathan’s office, which also consoled the Sofoluwe family.
The Olatokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe, 62, died of cardiac arrest on Saturday morning. He became the third vice-chancellor to have died on active service in the country. Born on April 15, 1950, he graduated with a Second Class Upper Division (Honours) in Special Mathematics in June 1973 from the University of Lagos.
During his undergraduate years, he received the prestigious German Scholarship award for academic brilliance. He also won the Dean’s Prize in the 1971/72 session. He was a pioneer National Youth Sevice Corps (NYSC) member in the old South-Eastern State of Nigeria.
At the end of the youth service, he won a Commonwealth Scholarship to study at Edinburgh University, Scotland. He earned his Masters in 1975 and Doctorate in 1981 from Edinburgh University.
The astute scholar/researcher started his teaching career as graduate assistant at the University of Lagos in 1976 and rose steadily through the ranks to become full professor in October 1996.
A versatile administrator, Professor Sofoluwe was a two-time acting head, Department of Computer Science from 1989 to 1991 and 1994 to 1996. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Science between 1998 and 2002.
Sofoluwe was elected as member of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos in 2000, for four years. By virtue of his appointment as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), he returned to the Governing Council in August 30, 2006 and was appointed Vice Chancellor on January 30, 2010 (although his appointment letter was dated January 15).