ULBS Aims for Increased Autonomy

By Onadipe Iseoluwa, Ogunro Tiwaloluwa, Dauda Maryam.

*Mrs Jumoke Ogunkayode, Executive Director of the University of Lagos Business School*.

The Executive Director of the University of Lagos Business School (ULBS), represented by his secretary and personal assistant, Jumoke Ogunkayode, highlighted the challenges posed by the school’s affiliation with the University of Lagos in an interview with Unilag Sun.

She pointed out the bureaucratic challenges typical of federal government institutions.

“There is always a challenge here and there, and you know, because we don’t have full autonomy yet, we are still under the University of Lagos, and you know, Federal government institutions, there’s always bureaucracy, so that bureaucracy think it’s quite a challenge, for us in Business school,” she stated.

She further explained that the school had gained some autonomy as they now process their results directly, stating, “We don’t need to pass through the postgraduate school; now we can deal directly as a school.”

Expressing the school’s aspirations, Ogunkayode added, “We want to stand as a school on our own, though there is no way we can totally detach from the University of Lagos, at least to an extent be able to stand as a school.”

She highlighted some milestones for the school, such as its membership in prestigious international bodies like the Association of Advance Collegiates School of Business USA (AACSB) and the African Association of Business Schools (AABS). She further stated that this membership elevates the school’s profile and opens doors for participants to participate in conferences, international competitions, and exchange programs.

Regarding the accreditation process, Ogunkayode explained that it is a rigorous one, “Some will ask you for the financial statement of the school. Some want to know the number of programs that you are doing, the number of lecturers you have, your classroom standard, things like that.”

ULBS has witnessed significant growth in participant enrollment, expanding from an initial 26 participants to at least 40 in each classroom. Ogunkayode also mentioned the successful introduction of programs such as the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and Executive Master of Non-interest Finance.

Regarding scholarships, she clarified that ULBS has no current scholarship opening because it is an executive program.

“For you even to get into our MBA, you have to get to a managerial level.” she said.

Despite these limitations, ULBS remains committed to providing uninterrupted lectures and an influential networking platform for managerial-level professionals.

The drive for increased autonomy while maintaining affiliations with the University of Lagos reflects ULBS’s ongoing efforts to establish itself as a premier institution for business education.