A United Kingdom based alumnus of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Mrs. Aderonke Adeagbo, through her Foundation, I-A donated a princely sum of money to the University as an annual prize to the best graduating Accounting student. Mrs. Adeagbo who studied Accounting while in the University visited her alma-mater for the first time on Thursday, May 30th 2019 since her graduation in 1989.
On her arrival at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, she was received by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde and the Registrar, Mr. Femi Ogunwomoju. Mrs. Adeagbo briefed the duo about her Foundation. According to her, the purpose of the Foundation was “enabling through education”. Through the Foundation, bursary would be awarded to students that were experiencing hardship and those with learning difficulties. She also stated that emphasis was being placed on educating the girl child and rewarding excellence in education.
She said she was in the University to give back to the institution what she had gained while she was there. She lamented the lack of facilities she and her course mates experienced while pursuing their degrees. However, she was happy that things have improved for the current students. Looking back she was grateful for the grueling teaching and tasks they were exposed to in their own time since according to her “it really served as a good background for me when I arrived United Kingdom”. She asserted that though, life abroad was not easy, but with the background training she had at Olabisi Onabanjo University, it was easy for her to settle down in the United Kingdom and, most importantly, pass her Professional Accounting Examinations within a record time.
While on the tour of the Main Campus, she was surprised at the spate of development and she confessed that she was not expecting to see some of the facilities she was seeing. Mrs. Adeagbo who visited the new ICT building with a sitting capacity of 3,000 students, equipped with computers and other accessories was full of praise to the Vice-Chancellor and the University Management for developing the University to an enviable standard.
While on air at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Radio Station, she remarked that she never regretted bagging her degree from the University. She revealed that members of the Olabisi Onabanjo University alumni in the United Kingdom were a
lways together, sharing experiences and engaging in good networking. Using her words, “the alumni in the United Kingdom gel together, mix well and other Universities alumni are really envious of our camaraderie”. She thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the warm reception accorded to her and also thanked the Registrar, Mr. Ogunmowoju, whom she revealed, was her contemporary while both were students in the University, for facilitating the visit.
In his response, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunde Olatunji said that he was very proud of the alumni of the University for rising up to the challenge of giving back to their alma-mater. He stated that the University Management was appreciative of their supports both individually and collectively. He added that virtually all the alumni chapters in Nigeria and the diaspora were now coming forward without being prompted to assist the University. Thereafter, Prof. Olatunde informed Mrs. Adeagbo that Olabisi Onabanjo University “is now a University of 1st choice amongst applicants seeking for admission”. According to him, this was due to “our good image, a stable academic calendar, ambience environment, and our zero tolerance for cultism and other social-vices”. The Vice-Chancellor said, he was pleased and happy to learn that the alumni of Olabisi Onabanjo University are doing well all over the country and those in diaspora are also trail blazers.
Prof. Olatunde thanked Mrs. Adeagbo for her kind gesture towards the University and commended her for her initiative in establishing her Foundation to assist humanity.
