Lagos State University (LASU) reinforced its position as a global force in higher education and sustainable development this week, as the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni, NPOM, was hosted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during the High-Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The landmark event, themed “Creating a Better World: Contributions of Higher Education,” brought together university leaders and global change-makers. Co-hosted by the United Nations Academic Impact and the Millennium Campus Network, the forum was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Nigeria, Malta, Sierra Leone, and the Czech Republic.
Joining Professor Olatunji-Bello at the UN was LASU alumnus Mr. Kehinde Adebiyi, a renowned microbiologist at Indiana University and global SDG advocate. Kehinde opened the event with moving reflections on his journey as a 2018 Millennium Fellow at LASU, detailing community health projects he pioneered to promote infectious disease prevention (SDG 3), which have directly impacted thousands of lives. He credited his success to the empowering academic environment LASU provided and praised the university’s support for student-led social impact.
In her keynote address, Professor Olatunji-Bello showcased LASU’s transformational commitment to the SDGs, highlighting the university’s pioneering efforts to integrate sustainability into its academic and institutional framework. She shared insights into the establishment of the LASU SDGs Centre in 2022, which is strategically anchored on four core pillars: Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, Organisational Policy, and External Leadership and Partnerships.
The Vice-Chancellor further highlighted the LASU Innovation Hub, a world-class facility fostering student entrepreneurship and solution-driven innovation. She acknowledged the generous support of Her Excellency, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, who was also present at the event.
Also participating in the global dialogue were university leaders from Brac University, Minerva University, and the University of Oxford, alongside diplomats, ambassadors, and other SDG champions. Together, they explored how institutions of learning are shaping solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
LASU’s presence at the United Nations represents more than symbolic recognition it is a testament to the university’s bold vision of internationalisation, inclusive excellence, and leadership in sustainable development.
“We are not just preparing graduates. We are raising leaders who are equipped to transform communities, nations, and the world,” said Professor Olatunji-Bello.
We are LASU. We are Global. We are Great.
