OAU Unveils ₦54bn Endowment Fund, Hosts AfDB Adviser for Lecture
The Department of Chemical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, is set to host a landmark event to commemorate its 55th anniversary.
The event will feature the official launch of a ₦54 billion endowment fund and a keynote address by Professor Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Senior Special Assistant to the former President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.
The event, which will take place on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the Design Studio Auditorium, African Centre of Excellence, OAU, promises to be a convergence of academia, industry, and royalty.
The keynote lecture, titled “Rebuilding the Broken Walls,” will be delivered by Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, who is renowned for his work in innovation systems and development economics.
In a statement issued by the department, the 55th anniversary celebration will also include a commemorative book launch, chronicling the department’s milestones over five decades of academic excellence, industry collaboration, and national contribution.
Highlighting the significance of the day, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife, will attend the event as the Royal Father of the Day, lending his royal support to the institution’s efforts at sustaining quality engineering education in Nigeria.
According to the statement, the endowment fund is intended to provide long-term financial sustainability for the department, supporting research, innovation, infrastructure development, and scholarships for deserving students.
“The presence of a respected global thought leader like Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka and the unveiling of a ₦54 billion endowment demonstrate our department’s forward-thinking vision,” the statement noted. “We are positioning ourselves for greater global competitiveness and relevance.”
The event is expected to attract dignitaries from government, academia, professional bodies, and the private sector, as well as alumni and students of the university. Members of the university community and the general public are also invited to be part of the celebration.
