UNILAG Alumni push to bridge varsity infrastructure gaps

By Bianca Iboma-Emefu

In a move to bridge critical infrastructural gaps on campus, the University of Lagos Alumni Association, Lagos branch, alongside corporate organisations has rolled out a landmark intervention designed to deepen collaboration between town and gown.

The initiative, which began as a modest idea during the last edition of the Annual Shofoluwe Lecture, was born out of a conviction that funding tertiary education can no longer be left solely to government.

Speaking on the project’s progress, the Alumni chairman, Comrade Adedeji Owoeye said the team engaged every faculty and department to identify their most urgent infrastructural and academic needs—an exercise that exposed the scale of investment required to strengthen the university’s learning environment.

“Education cannot rest solely on the shoulders of government,” he stressed, noting that the alumni have been rallying individuals, development partners and corporate bodies to support the cause.

To consolidate these gains, the association will on Sunday, November 30, 2025, host a dinner and awards night with the corporate bodies, a strategic event aimed at forging new alliances, celebrating contributors, and strengthening the synergy between academia and industry.

The evening will also feature recognitions for outstanding partners whose commitments are already shaping the university’s future.

In line with the high stakes of the event, some dignitaries expected include Minister for Youth, Ayodele Olawande, special guest of honour, Dr. Akintoye Akindele, Deputy Speaker of Lagos State,
Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, PA to Lagos State Governor on Central Internal Units, Dr. Ayoola Oyeyemi, Chairman, Axiom, Dr. Segun Oshundairo, Chairman, Onigbongbo LCDA, Hon. Moyosore Adebanjo, MD, Osbridge, Dr. Onufemi Ogunsoyla, Chairman, Philipp Concert, Mr. Fuchun Philips, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate, ⁠Comrade Yussuf Olatunji Kelani,
Special Assistant, Dr. Olufemi Ogunsanya, Dr. Seinde Fadeni, Mr. Folusho Phillips, Mrs Funmilayo Oduwole, Hon Tubosun Aruwe, among others.

The vice-chancellor and top management team of UNILAG are also expected to grace the occasion, underscoring the institution’s endorsement of the alumni-led effort.

Describing the event as a rallying point for a better future, Owoeye reiterated that the intervention is not only about solving today’s challenges, but about laying a durable foundation for generations to come.

“When we work together with purpose, we can transform the fortunes of our education sector,” he said.