Alumni support, key to tertiary educational advancement —Babatunde

By Oluwatobi Alabi

A PHILANTHROPHIST and chairman of First Deepwater Group, Engr. Babalola Babatunde has enjoined alumni of various citadels of learning to invest heavily in the educational development of their alma mater to help resuscitate the dwindling fortune of education in Nigeria.

Engr. Babatunde said this while receiving and award for Entrepreneurship and Leadership Excellence Award given to him by the Lagos chapter of Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA at their annual alumni luncheon and awards ceremony held on Saturday in Lagos.

Engr. Babatunde who is an alumnus of the institution stated that FUTA alumni must consider it significant by investing their resources and time in the development of the institution as a way of giving back to the school that produced them.

The business tycoon who lamented the state of tertiary education in Nigeria, said that even though other well-meaning alumni were doing their best to take the school to greater height, more still needs to be done to provide conducive environment for learning.

While commending the Vice Chancellor and the management team for the giant strides recorded in the last few years both in learning and provision of infrastructure facilities, he tasked both the alumni and other stakeholders to continue to work together in the overall interest of development saying that the institution remains the best among other Nigerian universities, a testimonial that is clearly evident in the performance of its students in both private and public life.

According to him, the school cannot afford to go backward at this time and as such would require all the support it can get to play in the big league of great institutions of learning not only in Africa but globally.

The chairman of the oil company who acknowledged government’s effort in repositioning the institution since its creation said it was obvious that government support cannot do it alone stressing that both the alumni and other kind-hearted Nigerians alumni must lend their support stating that their contribution remains vital to advancement of learning in Nigeria.

Other awardees at the invent includes the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, former Registrar of the University, Mrs.Eunice Oyebade, Mr Akin Aina, Mr. Shebioba Babatunde, among others.

Babatunde, who bagged the entrepreneurship and leadership excellence award said he is delighted to be recognized for his effort towards the development of the school adding that such honour would energize him to do more as there was nothing too little to support an institution that had contributed immensely to the success he has achieved till date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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