Otedola donates Engineering Faculty to Augustine varsity

Billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Femi Otedola has handed over the completed block of a multi-billion-naira faculty of engineering complex to Augustine University, Ilara, Epe, Lagos State, in fulfillment of his dream to add a lasting value to the institution and its students.

Otedola, who is the Chancellor of the university, handed over the edifice to the school, at the inauguration ceremony held on Wednesday, in the presence of his mother, Lady Doja Otedola; Proprietor of the institution and Archbishop of the Metropolitan Sea of Lagos, Archbishop Adewale Martins, among others. He also laid the foundation stone for phase two of the faculty complex, which he promised would be completed in not more than two years.

The school named the engineering faculty building after Lady Otedola, who, according to her billionaire son, inspired him to undertake the project. Otedola said the project was in appreciation of her passion towards the betterment of the university and its students.

In his remarks, Otedola said he made the commitment to donate one building of the engineering faculty to the school in March 2018, but later increased his commitment to the engineering complex to N2 billion.

Otedola said: “It is with thanksgiving to God that I express my great delight in today’s ceremony for the commissioning of the first block of the engineering complex of Augustine University. I thank God that my dream of donating the first block of faculty of engineering building has become a reality.

“On March 11, 2018, at the fund raising dinner organised by my sister, Dame Sena Anthony, I made the commitment to donate one building of the faculty of engineering to the university. On realising that the first building is a four-building complex, during my mother’s 90th birthday celebration last year, I increased my commitment to the engineering complex to the sum of N2 billion.

“In fulfillment of this pledge, I am extremely delighted to be also turning the sod for the commencement of the second building of the engineering faculty complex.

“I hope the construction period for this building will not be more than two years in view of the envisaged rapid growth of engineering students in the school. He said his dream was to support the institution to become the number one centre of excellence in Africa for the study of various disciplines of engineering.

Proprietor of the institution, Archbishop Adewale Martin, thanked the donor, who is the Chairman of Geregu Power Plc and his mother, for the gesture. Martin said it is the Otedola family’s tradition to support not only the growth of the sector but education of young people, while reminding that the late patriarch of the family played a key role in the acquisition of the land on which the university is located.