The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has endowed Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye with a 160-seater lecture theatre for the training and development of future bankers. The Institute disclosed that the edifice, which will be fully furnished and equipped with ultra-modern gadgets, is part of its modest contributions to the development of banking and finance education in Nigeria as well as support for the nation’s economy. The building would be known as “The CIBN Bankers Hall.”
Speaking recently during the groundbreaking ceremony of the project at the Main Campus of the University, Ago-Iwoye, the CIBN President, Dr Ken Opara, said the Institute had resolved to establish a learning legacy project in all linked institutions across the country for effective collaboration. He stated that the linkage programme was designed to deepen banking and finance education by infusing professional elements into the teaching-learning process.
Opara added that the programme was also aimed at addressing the gap between the industry and the academia in terms of quality of graduates produced from higher institutions. According to him, a total of 68 tertiary institutions in Nigeria are currently on board the linkage programme which commenced on the University Campus in 1998. He described OOU as the first institution to key into the linkage initiative with the onboarding of over 80 students into the programme, adding that the relationship has since been mutually beneficial. “It is on record that over 50 graduates of the scheme from OOU have bagged their Ph.D and are plying their trade in various walks of life,” Opara further stated. While commending OOU for its efforts in providing the best educational experience for students and the public, the president declared that the groundbreaking ceremony marked the CIBN endorsement and acknowledgement of the University’s contributions to educational development and the economy in the past 40 years.
He said, “The CIBN Bankers Hall will serve as the melting pot for the training and development of future-ready bankers. This project is our modest contribution to the development of banking and finance education in Nigeria, and by extension, our support for the economy.”
“It is our considered opinion that any student from your institution who has gone through the linkage programme and has passed the Banking Professional Examinations conducted by the CIBN will be a competent material fit for the industry, be it public or private.”
“I must also mention that in recognition of the changing business landscape and the transformation that has taken place in the banking industry, the Institute developed and launched its new syllabus for the banking professional examinations in 2021. The new syllabus has been fortified with contents that are contemporary and addresses emerging issues in the world of banking and finance.’’
Opara, who noted that education remained the bedrock of any meaningful development, appealed to all stakeholders, including the government and the Organised Private Sector, to join forces to reposition Nigeria’s educational system. In his address, the OOU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, commended the CIBN for donating the lecture theatre and assured that the building would be put to good use when completed.
He explained that part of his administration’s agenda is to ensure the University continuously produces students that are well-educated, employable and could be employers of labour. He also stressed the imperative of partnership and collaboration between the academia and the banking industry stakeholders to enhance the quality of University products in the country.
“We have demonstrated measurable capacity to bring about the turnaround in the University and we will continue on this trajectory to get to the promised land. This epoch-making event is equally significant in that it is the first to be done under this administration and I believe that it will usher into the University many more projects during my tenure and beyond,” Prof. Agboola said.
Dignitaries in attendance at the event included the Principal Officers of the University, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdulrazaq Adenugba, and the Baba Oba of Ago-Iwoye, Major-General Adebanjo Awosanya (retd), among others.
