Billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Femi Otedola has handed over the completed block A of a multi-billion-naira faculty of engineering complex to Augustine University, Ilara, Epe, Lagos State.
Otedola, who is the Chancellor of the University, handed over the edifice to the school, at the inauguration and handover ceremony held on Wednesday, in the presence of his mother and inspirer of the project, Lady Doja Otedola; Proprietor of the institution and Archbishop of the Metropolitan Sea of Lagos, Archbishop Adewale Martins, amongst others.
The donor also laid the foundation stone for phase 2 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 Doja Otedola in appreciation of her passion towards the betterment of the university and its students.
In his remark at the occasion, 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, during his mother’s 90th birthday celebration.
He said “It is with thanksgiving to God that I express my great delight for 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.”
Otedola, who is the Chairman of Geregu Power Plc, however, thanked the proprietor of the university for naming the engineering faculty building after his mother, saying “I’m glad that she is alive to witness this historic event in view of her unflinching commitment to the university.”
The donor expressed his appreciation to the proprietor of the university for appointing him as the chancellor of the institution, promising to support the vision of the revered Cardinal Anthony Okogie, whom he said accompanied his late father, Sir Michael Otedola to meet the late Oba of Ilara in order to obtain the present site for Augustine University to commence.
Further thanking the duo of Okogie and Martins for their continuous encouragement, Otedola also expressed his gratitude to the trio of the Board Chairman of Augustine University, Sir Steve Omojiafor; the school’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Christopher Ojetunde; former Chairman of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Sir Egbert Imomoh; Pro-Chancellor, Augustine University, Chief Gilbert Grant; and his sister, Sena, for the roles they played as his project steering committee throughout the completion of the project.
In his remark, Archbishop Martins expressed the university’s gratitude to the Otedola family, particularly the donor, for contributing in adding lasting value to the school through the building donated.
He said the Otedola family has the tradition of supporting the growth of education and the education of young people, pointing out that the late patriarch of the Otedola family played a key role in acquiring the land for the Augustine University existing today.
Martins said, “And so, as we gather today, it is the grace of God that inspired our mama, Mama Otedola, to encourage the family or to encourage in particular, her son, Mr. Olufemi Otedola, to donate this building which we commissioned today.
“Of course, the whole effort to support the building of this university and this particular project, did not begin just when mama encouraged her son, but rather, many years ago when the patriarch of the family, as we have heard earlier, gave the initial push for the acquisition of the land.“
