Fakoyejo Olalekan
Lagos State University (LASU) has denied banning other bread brands within the school’s campus after establishing its own bakery business.
Prime Business Africa previously reported that LASU released a statement hinting at the ban of other bread brands, as it stated that only LASU-produced bread will be on the university’s main campus in Ojo.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“Accolades for the VC, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni, as LASU Bakery opens for business. The bakery is part of her administration’s drive to increase IGR.
“The LASU Bread will henceforth be the only bread on the university main campus, Ojo,” the school tweeted last week.
However, following criticism that LASU is trying to monopolise the bread market in the school and limiting the students’ options, which is anti-competitive practice, the school authority deleted the post and denied banning sales of other bread in the university.
In its statement addressing the post, LASU said at no time did the University authority direct the ban on the sale of other bread brands on the university campus.
The school said the post was made by an “excited” member of its social media team following an interaction among some officials of the University.
LASU stated that the bakery post was not meant to be celebrated as a groundbreaking achievement, but instead, the strengthening of entrepreneurship and productivity.
“We have noted with keen interest the reactions that have trailed our earlier post on the sales of LASU Bread on campus and wish to place on record that at no time did the University Authority direct the ban on the sale of other bread brands in the university campus as suggested in that post.
“The post was ostensibly based on a verbal deliberation gleaned from a passing interaction among some officials of the University and posted by an excited member of our social media team. We, therefore, clarify that there is NO BAN on other brands on campus.
“Furthermore, it is penitent to state that the LASU Bread is just one of the efforts of the University administration at strengthening entrepreneurship and productivity and was not intended to be celebrated as a groundbreaking achievement. Our achievements in our core responsibility of teaching, research and community service are evident,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, prior to the denial, the Executive Vice Chairman, Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Babatunde Irukera, had stated that LASU’s action is against the law, “I am afraid this presents a potential violation of competition law,” he said.
