The Acting Director-General/Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), Dr. Peter Adefisoye OLUWAFISOYE, FISLT, mnip, has advocated the reintroduction of the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Degree Programme in Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) at the University of Ibadan, describing the institution as the pioneer of Science Laboratory Technology education in Nigeria.

  Dr. Oluwafisoye made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, on Friday, July 17, 2026, to discuss issues relating to the development and advancement of Science Laboratory Technology education in the country. The Acting DG noted that the University of Ibadan occupies a special place in the history of the profession, having pioneered the former Laboratory Technology Training School (LTTS) programme, which produced many distinguished professionals in Science Laboratory Technology.

 Reflecting on his personal academic and professional journey, Dr. Oluwafisoye stated that he was a proud product of the University's defunct LTTS programme, adding that the quality education and practical laboratory exposure he received at the University laid a solid foundation for his successful career in laboratory science and management.

 He further recalled that he served for about ten years in the Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, before joining Osun State University in 2007 and subsequently the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), where he currently serves as the Acting Director-General/Registrar/Chief Executive Officer. According to him, the training he received at the University of Ibadan equipped him with the technical competence, professional discipline, and managerial capacity that have continued to shape his career in academia, research, and public service.

 Dr. Oluwafisoye therefore appealed to the University Management to consider the commencement of a full-fledged Degree Programme in Science Laboratory Technology, stressing that the programme would contribute significantly to the production of highly competent Laboratory Technologists and Scientists capable of meeting national and international standards. He observed that more than twenty Nigerian universities currently offer degree programmes in Science Laboratory Technology under the National Universities Commission (NUC) Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), while the University of Ibadan—the institution that pioneered laboratory technology education in Nigeria—does not currently run the undergraduate programme. He further explained that the NUC CCMAS for Science Laboratory Technology provides eight specialized options, thereby offering broad opportunities for specialization and addressing the growing manpower needs of laboratories in healthcare, industry, agriculture, environmental management, research, and education.

Speaking during the visit, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, warmly received the NISLT delegation, which also included the Chairperson of the Association of Science Laboratory Technologists (ASLTON), University of Ibadan Branch, Dr. Joel Elizabeth, FISLT. Professor Adebowale acknowledged the importance of Science Laboratory Technology to scientific advancement and noted that the University is already running postgraduate programmes in the discipline. He expressed optimism that introducing the undergraduate degree programme was a feasible proposition. The Vice-Chancellor also reflected on the historical circumstances that led to the discontinuation of the former programme and assured the delegation that the University's Management would give the proposal careful and positive consideration in line with institutional procedures and academic priorities.

In her remarks, the Chairperson of ASLTON, University of Ibadan Branch, Dr. Joel Elizabeth, FISLT, expressed appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor for his consistent support for the Association and for creating an enabling environment for its professional and academic activities. She particularly thanked the Vice-Chancellor for approving and supporting the recently concluded ASLTON Scientific Workshop on "Effective Management Skills for Improved Laboratory Operations and Quality Service," describing his unwavering support as instrumental to the success of the programme.

As a symbolic highlight of the visit, Dr. Oluwafisoye presented the Vice-Chancellor with a copy of the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (Establishment) Act No. 12 of 2003, which established the Institute as the statutory regulatory body for the Science Laboratory Technology profession in Nigeria.

The courtesy visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology and the University of Ibadan to strengthening Science Laboratory Technology education, enhancing professional standards, and producing highly skilled laboratory professionals capable of driving scientific innovation and national development.