The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, has been honoured with the Wonder Woman Award by The Guardian Newspapers. She emerged as the top choice in the Business of Academia and Learning category, leading a group of seven distinguished women selected for the 2025 Wonder Women Awards.
According to Anita Athena Ibru, the Initiator and Co-creator of the Guardian Women Festival, the award was created as a platform to showcase and celebrate women making significant strides in their respective endeavours.
Speaking at the Awards Presentation ceremony, which was held on Monday, May 19, 2025, at Rutam House along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Isolo, Lagos, Anita Athena Ibru, who is also the Chief Strategy Officer (Global) for The Guardian newspaper, congratulated Professor Folasade Ogunsola, alongside other awardees, for their milestones and a sterling record of service in their respective fields, which made them deserving of the recognition. She explained that the Guardian Women Festival and Wonder Women Awards aim to celebrate the achievements of women who have excelled against the odds while also promoting greater collaboration and unity within the women’s community.
In her response, Professor Folasade Ogunsola described the Wonder Women Award as not only gratifying but also a clarion call to do more, especially in shattering the glass ceilings, conquering barriers and providing leadership at various levels. Speaking on a live set of The Guardian TV, Prof. Ogunsola described the Wonder Women Award as a celebration of hard work and milestones recorded by women. She said, “…the gesture also marks an acknowledgement of the ongoing developmental strides in UNILAG despite the prevailing economic conditions, a development which guarantees the attainment of the Future-Ready UNILAG, thereby making us a beacon of hope for a better future for tertiary education in Nigeria”,
The Professor of Medical Microbiology took the opportunity to encourage women at all levels not to be deterred by daunting challenges but to summon their courage, stay resilient, and step forward toward greater achievements.
Other winners of the 2025 Wonder Women Awards are:
Isabella Adediji, Winner, The Business Culture
Blessing Oyeleye Adesiyan; Winner, The Business of Care and Wellness
Oluseye Alayande; Winner, The Business of Finance and Investment
Aisha Mumuni, Winner, The Business of Technology
Oluwatoyin Maiden; Winner, The Business of Public Service.
Dr Elizabeth Jack-Rich, Winner, The Business of Philanthropy
The Guardian is an independent newspaper established in 1983 to provide balanced coverage of events and promote the best interests of Nigeria.
