The Great Ife Alumni Association, District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) Branch, USA, has renovated Block L of Mozambique Hall at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, in a multi-million-naira intervention aimed at improving students’ welfare and living conditions.
The project was commissioned on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, during a ceremony held at the Mozambique Hall Common Room.
The ceremony was attended by members of the university’s management, including the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. A. O. Aderonmu; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. E. O. Akinfala; Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. A. Odedire; and Chairman, Security Committee, Prof. A. Titilayo.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor commended the DMV Branch for its patriotism and commitment to the development of its alma mater.
Bamire said his administration had adopted a deliberate policy of engaging alumni across the world to complement government efforts in addressing infrastructural challenges on campus.
“When we came on board, we acknowledged that some of the hostels were in a deplorable state, and we knew the government alone could not do everything for us,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
He urged faculties and departments to strengthen their engagement with alumni and seek partnerships capable of supporting the university’s development agenda.
The Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Odedire, also expressed appreciation to the DMV alumni for the intervention, noting that the improvement in hostel infrastructure across the university was receiving positive responses from alumni branches.
The Hall Warden of Mozambique Hall, Mrs. J. O. Adesopo, recalled that the relationship between the hall and the DMV Branch began in 2024, when members of the association pledged to support the renovation of the facility.
Representing the benefactors, the President/Chairman of the Great Ife Alumni Association, DMV Branch, Mr. Oluwole Akinyede, said the project was inspired by the association’s desire to give back to the institution and provide students with a conducive environment.
Akinyede said the intervention followed discussions with the Vice-Chancellor during an alumni engagement in North America and subsequent assessment of the condition of the university’s hostels.
He described the project as a demonstration of the enduring bond between OAU and its alumni, adding that the renovated facility would provide a “home away from home” for students and contribute to academic excellence.
The renovation of Block L includes upgraded plumbing and electrical installations, reinforced doors, modern tiling and fresh painting, among other improvements.
The DMV Branch also acknowledged members of its project team and executive committee who contributed to the successful completion of the project.
Meanwhile, the intervention has generated renewed interest among other Great Ife alumni branches, with the university indicating that additional branches have expressed interest in adopting and renovating other hostel blocks.
The projects include Block S, to be sponsored by the Dallas Branch in the United States; Block W by the Iwo Branch; Block X by the Osogbo Branch; and Block Q by the Ikorodu Branch.
The Vice-Chancellor called on other alumni chapters, corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to join the university’s efforts to renew its infrastructure and sustain its tradition of academic excellence.
