20 UNILAG law undergraduates receive N20m grants

No fewer than 20 law undergraduates of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have received N20m educational grants. The scholarship grant of N1m each was presented to them in honour of late Professor Jelili Adebisi Omotola who served as the seventh Vice Chancellor of the University from 1995 to 2000. Before he passed on at the […]

No fewer than 20 law undergraduates of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have received N20m educational grants.
The scholarship grant of N1m each was presented to them in honour of late Professor Jelili Adebisi Omotola who served as the seventh Vice Chancellor of the University from 1995 to 2000.
Before he passed on at the age of 65 in 2006, Professor Omotola was renowned as a shining legal luminary who was one of the foremost authorities on property law in Nigeria.
Speaking at the 20th posthumous commemoration held at UNILAG, the University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, acknowledged the roles of late Professor Omotola in the growth of the University.
“Professor Omotola, a distinguished academic, was a visionary leader. He was a bold leader. His contributions to legal education and university administration remain indelible. His tenure was marked with courage, innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“He believed deeply in the transformative power of education and worked tirelessly to position this university as a beacon of knowledge, integrity and service. Today’s remembrance is both a solemn reflection and a celebration of his enduring impact,” she said.
She said that late Professor Omotola used his expertise in land and property law to create opportunities for staff housing, saying many of the estates outside the university for staff were developed during his tenure.
“I want to use this opportunity to challenge the present members of the Faculty of Law in the property section, we need more estates. Follow his example,” she said.
The university’s Pro Chancellor, Wole Olanipekun described late Professor Omotola as a towering figure, highlighting his impact on the younger generation.
“When we were young, as talents, he used us and we used him. And when we left the university, he kept on calling upon us, asking after us, our development, progress and welfare. He came to our level. He made friendship out of us.
“And some of us were so close to him that we saw him as a role model, as a father, leader, teacher and symbol of everything that was good. We wanted to be like him. He wasn’t thoughtless, but he was very proud,” he said.
Barrister Goke Omotola, one of the children of late Professor Omotola described the initiative as a deliberate investment in the future of the legal profession and a continuation of his father’s lifelong dedication to mentoring and empowering young minds.
“We are at a pivotal moment in Nigerian legal education. The challenges are real, the pressures on students are immense but, so too is their potential.
“It is the firm conviction of all who stand behind this initiative that the future of Nigerian jurisprudence, the future of access to justice and the integrity of a legal profession, depend in no small measure on how we support today’s brilliant and indigent students,” he said.