Prof Folasade Ogunsola, VC UNILAG, named 2025 WISCAR Distinguished Woman Awardee
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, has been named the 2025 Distinguished Woman Awardee by Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR). She received the honour at the organisation’s annual leadership and mentoring conference in Lagos, attended by more than 500 women leaders, policymakers and young professionals.
Professor Ogunsola, Nigeria’s first female professor of Medical Microbiology and the first woman to lead the University of Lagos since 1962, was recognised for her work in public health, higher education and the advancement of women. Previous recipients of the award include former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
In her keynote address, she called for a shift from “tokenism to transformational leadership,” arguing that inclusive governance is essential for Nigeria’s development. She said women’s leadership had deep roots in pre-colonial society but had been weakened by colonial structures and entrenched patriarchy. She proposed reforms including stronger economic empowerment, gender-mainstreamed policy, mentorship pipelines and tougher protections against violence.
WISCAR’s founder, Amina Oyagbola, warned of declining female representation in political office but noted progress in corporate leadership. The event also marked the graduation of the first cohort of WISCAR’s Women in Law and Mentoring Programme.
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