Federal government on Thursday asked wealthy Nigerians to support it to lift the nation’s education sector.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, made the appeal at the inauguration of a Senate building donated by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN)to the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI), Ikere-Ekiti.
Alausa said that the government should not be alone in funding education and appealed to wealthy Nigerians to emulate Olanipekun by giving back to society.
He commended Olanipekun, a former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), for the donation.
The minister said that the donor had shown commitment and unrelenting interest in the development of the education sector over the years.
He said that Olanipekun’s appointment as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos was not unconnected with his love for and contributions to the country’s educational development.
“The Senate building, donated by Chief Wole Olanipeku, and which we commissioned today, will play a crucial role in making the current government’s aspirations a reality.
“It will facilitate efficient governance, support academic research, and contribute to the excellence that Bamidele Olumilua University of Education and Technology, Ikere (BOUESTI) is known for”, he said.
In his speech, Olanipekun said he derived pleasure in adding value to the lives of others, especially institutions saddled with the responsibility of imparting knowledge.
He promised to continue in that line of action, even as he continually pledged to make himself available for further philanthropic activities.
Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, who inaugurated the building, said the state appreciated the roles the Olanipekun and elder statesman Chief Afe Babalola had played in positioning the state for global reckoning.
The governor commended Olanipekun’s relentless generosity and devotion to community development, which he said had spanned decades.
Oyebanji promised to furnish the senate building and construct a 5-kilometre road network within the university campus.
“This latest achievement by Chief Wole Olanipekun is a significant landmark and a new height in your enviable record as a generous philanthropist and committed leader,” he said.
Earlier in a welcome address, the University’s pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Patrick Aina, lauded Olanipekun’s efforts to raise the bar at the University of Lagos, where he is currently the pro-chancellor.
Aina promised that BOUESTI’s management would use the Senate building well and jealously guard and protect it.
NAN
