INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, LEGACY PROJECTS, FUNDING AND BENEFACTIONS
This is the SIXTH EDITION of the account of stewardship of Professor Idowu Olayinka who recently completed his five-year term as the 12th Vice Chancellor of the University Nigeria on the 1st of December, 2020. In this volume is documented the achievements of his administration in the areas of INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, LEGACY PROJECTS, FUNDING AND BENEFACTIONS. Publishing these feats, as said in the previous editions means inviting everyone to not only note the achievements but to also attempt to confirm the veracity of the claims of Idowu Olayinka, learn from his actions and place commendations when impressed (and criticisms when not). We wish you a good time with Olayinka’s exploits below:
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEGACY PROJECTS
Construction of the Faculty of Arts Extension. As at October 2014, 24 of the about 160 members of the academic staff in the Faculty of Arts had no office accommodation. Hence, construction of the six-storey Faculty of Arts Extension Building was a top priority and our entire 2015/2016 TETFund Intervention for Capital Projects was devoted to this project, in the sum of N665,410,00.00. This facility include 47 Lecturers’ offices, 1 No 200 Capacity Lecture Hall, 3 No 150 Capacity Lecture Halls, 2 No 99 Capacity Lecture Halls, among others.
Termination of the original contract following the abandonment of site and re-award of the contract to a new company for the Construction of a new Faculty of Education Building.
Termination of the original contract following the abandonment of site and re-award of the contract to a new company for the Construction of a new Department of Statistics Building.
Construction of the International Postgraduate House at Ajibode.
Construction of the Agribusiness Incubation Centre by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Construction of Mini ICT Squares for Research & Development funded by the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC).
Construction of a new Faculty of Law Lecture Theatre.
Completion of the new Faculty of Science Auditorium.
Completion of the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering/Wood Product Engineering Building.
Construction of Workshop for the Departments of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, and Wood Products Engineering.
Completion of the Centre for Educational and Media Resource Studies Building (Now Department of School Library and Media Technology).
Resurfacing of Appleton Road.
Resurfacing of Sokoto Crescent
Asphalting of Gongola Road
Resurfacing of Liard Road (The UI-Polytechnic Road).
Resurfacing of Crowther Lane (Off Amina Way, towards Anatomy).
Regular patching of potholes on Campus roads.
Allocation of 7 hectares of land for the proposed Veterinary Teaching Hospital Complex on 25 January, 2019.
Refurbishment and Upgrading of ARCIS Library
Faculty of Science Multipurpose Centre comprising Students’Reading Room, laboratories for Biological, Earth, Physical Sciences and e-library. (Foundation/Turning of the sod on 15th July 2020)- Funded by Special Zonal Intervention of TETFund).
Incubation Centre at the UI Research Foundation, Olajuwon Olayide Extension (Foundation/Turning of the sod on 16th July 2020- Funded by Special Zonal Intervention of TETFund).
The Ministerial Tenders Board, Federal Ministry of Education, has on 7th July 2020 approved contract for the Construction of Lecture Theatre for the Distance Learning Centre.
Find in the Appendix some of the projects carried out to enhance municipal services within the Iniversity.
FUNDING AND FUND MANAGEMENT
The University of Ibadan Microfinance Bank Ltd was incorporated in December 2012 while full operation began the following month, we have ensured that the UI Microfinance Bank is on a sound financial and managerial footing, in my capacity as the Chairman of the Board. The profitability level has been increasing and this has been ploughed back in order to improve future higher earnings for the bank.
The clientiele base has continued to increase and it currently stands at 563 out of which about 80% are members of staff of the University.
To boost the welfare of staff of the University, the interest rate charged on concessionary loan facility to staff by the bank is 2% while the repayment period is 18 months instead of the normal 10 months.
The UI Microfinance Bank Ltd. was the only Microfinance bank in Oyo State that was selected to disburse and administer the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) Revolving Micro Credit Scheme for Small Scale Enterprises in 2019.
Two new companies were incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission in September 2019. These are Platinum UI Commercial Enterprises Ltd and UISHOPWELL.
Up till the last day of the administration we vigorously pursued initiatives that would improve the financial fortunes of the University of Ibadan in the coming years, especially through Public-Private-Partnership (PPP). In this regard, the ground-breaking ceremony of the Primus Mall, a PPP initiative held on Friday, 30 October, 2020. Primus 1948 Limited is a property development company formed specifically to develop the Primus Mall Ibadan. The company is a partnership between Angular Mall Limited, VGS Homeland Nigeria Limited (Promoters), the University of Ibadan (established in 1948) and a number of other private investors.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a Mega Station and Multipurpose Plaza by Bovas and Company Limited under a PPP arrangement held on 23 November 2020.
The ground-breaking ceremony for a modern abbatoir and lairage at the University of Ibadan held on 27th November 2020. This is a PPP and build, operate and transfer investment model between UI and Nihinlola Farms and Investment.
In order to expand its scope of operations, and thereby significantly improve on its relevance to the immediate community and on its profitability, the UI Microfinance Bank Ltd under my watch as Chairman of the Board of Directors is building a permanent site opposite Mobil Filling Station, Off Amina Way, under a contractor-financed arrangement. The project is due for delivery by middle of year 2021.
Strategies for saving costs: TAMING ECONOMIC RECCESSION
Very early in the life of the administration and in the face of daunting financial constraints at a time when the national economy of our great country was sliding into a recession, we had to consciously embark on some cost-saving measures in the university. These measures were retained even after the national economy started improving. By our conservative estimate, the University must have saved about Two Hundred Million Naira (N200,000,000.00) on account of these measures aimed at prudent management of our scarce resources.
Some of the specific cost saving measures include:
Gradual introduction of paperless meetings.
Non-publication of 2016 Calendar which saved the University at least N60 Million for the entire tenure.
Non-publication of paid advertorials for Professorial Inaugural Lectures series in national newspapers which saved the University at least N15 Million. In spite of this, each of the numerous frequently held Inaugural Lectures was well attended, with the lecturers and Faculties/Institutes making effective use of new technologies especially the social media to mobilise attendees.
Migration to Electronic Bulletin of the UI Bulletin instead of hard copies, on my first day in office by proclamation as an Executive Order saves the University at least N40 Million per annum. This is an integral part of the introduction of e-governance in the University.
Electronic copies of publications are sent to external assessors rather than the paper copies, starting with foreign assessors. This saves us up to N50 Million in the traditional way of courier postages.
Development of an In-House software for sorting/scrambling of Post-UTME Questions starting from the 2016/17 admission exercise; an external vendor had charged us N3 Million.
On numerous occasions, various international agencies sponsored me to workshops and seminars outside the country on an economy class flight ticket. Since I was entitled to travel with business class, I was at liberty to ask the University’s travel agent to upgrade my e-ticket to business class. I did not request for this, thus saving the University at least Twenty Million Naira (N20,000,000.00).
MAJOR BENEFACTIONS RECEIVED BY THE UNIVERSITY
The Bode Amao Creche, Nursery and Primary School Building, funded by Dr Bode Amao, our esteemd father and long standing friend of the University of Ibadan, a business mogul and a traditional title holder, the Asiwaju of Ibadanland.
The Aliko Dangote Building in the School of Business, funded by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the foremost industrialist and entrepreneur.
The Headquarter Building of the University of Ibadan Research Foundation (at Ajibode), funded by Rt. Hon. Dr. Chevalier Justus Itsueli (UI Alumnus 1966).
The Centre for Physiological and Pharmacological Research Centre donated by the Nathaniel Idowu Foundation (Facilitated by the Provost, College of Medicine, Professor E. Oluwabunmi Olopade-Olaopa).
The General Arogbofa Building at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies.
Dr Oladimeji Olabanji building at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies.
The Alumni Postgraduate Hall, built by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association (UIAA) Worldwide.
Donation of Three Hundred and Twenty Four Million Naira to the Akinkugbe Kidney Centre by General T Y Danjuma, GCON.
The Kessington Adebukola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF) Auditorium in the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics endowed by Odole Oodua Sir Adebutu Kessington.
The Mosobalaje Oyawoye Building incorporating e-library and Aret Adams Professorial Chair offices in the Department of Geology; funded by the Association of Ibadan University Geologists (Ibadan Geologists’) and Niger Delta Petroleum Exploration and Development Company Limited. The estimated cost on completion is Two Hundred and Forty Million Naira.
Donation of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000) to the Department of Economics by the Central Bank of Nigeria as part of activities marking 60 years of the founding of the Department.
Extensive and Periodic Renovation of Alexander Brown Hall by the main body of Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association (ICOMAA) Worldwide and various Medical and Dental Class Sets.
Award of a total of 10 undergraduate scholarships per academic session by Bovas Foundation to students drawn from seven participating faculties in the University namely: Science, Technology, Veterinary Medicine, Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Dentistry and Pharmacy. Each scholarship is worth between One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira (N120,000.00) and One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000) and is awarded to selected 200 level students. Once awarded, the beneficiary continues to receive the award till he/she completes the degree programme. The first set of awards were made during the 2014/2015 academic session.
Donation of Twenty Five Million Naira (N25,000,000) by the then Governor-Elect of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde, FNSE, in March 2019.
Donation of a bus to the Faculty of Law and Vertical Extension of the Bola Ige Building at the Dr Michael Omolayole Complex of UIAA Worldwide by Barrister Allen Onyeama, Alumnus 1983, Chairman Air Peace.
The UI Faculty of Pharmacy Alumni Association donated a Toyota Sienna Mini-Bus to the Faculty in July 2020.
Donation of a multipurpose event centre to UIAA Worldwide by His Excellency Dr. (Senator) Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor Delta State (Alumnus 1980).
Donation of Forty Million Naira (N40,000,000) by His Excelleny Dr Umar Ganduje, Governor Kano State (Alumnus).
Donation of Ten Million Naira to the Department of Architecture for the purchase of a bus by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God. This was facilitated by the pioneer Head of Architecture, Professor Cordelia Osasona, then a Visiting Professor of Architecture from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Class of 1978 of the College of Medicine donated the sum of N10.6M for the upgrade of the College website, the repository and upgrade of ICT facilities at the pre-clinical school and the Alexander Brown Hall.
General renovation of buildings in the Departments of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Physiology and Anatomy.
Revamping of D Block in Alexander Brown Hall (ABH) to the tune of N20,425,317.25 College of Medicine, University of Ibadan 1981 set.
Provision of industrial borehole in Alexander Brown Hall by 1992 set.
Renovation of students hostel at Igbo-Ora by the class of 1998.
Refurbishing of Alexander Brown Hall, including new water distribution and electrical systems and renovation of Blocks A&C by classes of 1976, 1982, 1984, 1986 &1994.
Provision of a Sienna van for Community Dentistry by Dr. Kenny Ajede (Class 2003).
Revamping of the inverter and ventilation systems and purchase of furniture for the E. Latunde Odeku Medical Libraryby the Class of 1976.
SEEDING LABS USA Equipment for the University of Ibadan
The University received donation of a High Performance Liquid Chromatography equipment with accessories, consumables and glass/plasticwares. The donation includes Freeze-Dryers, Floor Centrifuge, Haemacytometer, Carbon dioxide incubator, Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reactor, Spectrophotometer, Rotary evaporator, Water purification systems and Freezers (-86 degrees Celsius, -20 degrees Celsius).
The current market value of the items donated is about One Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars ($150,000). This is equivalent to Fifty Eight Million and One Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Naira (N58,125,000).
The University of Ibadan paid the counterpart fund of Twenty Six Thousand and Five Hundred US Dollars ($26,500) to Seeding Labs, USA, which covered the cost of shipment to Apapa Wharf Port, Lagos. The University was also responsible for clearing and custom duties, transportation from Lagos to the University of Ibadan and part of the installation cost to the tune of Five Million and Four Hundred Thousand Naira.
The equipment donation was facilitated by Dr Olayinka Ayotunde Oridupa, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Grateful acknowledgment is extended to Seeding Labs, Boston, USA, for the donation. The University of Ibadan will put the equipment into good use to aid research by the postgraduate students and Faculty.
