Billionaire Femi Otedola has donated the finished Block A of a multi-billion-naira faculty of engineering complex to Augustine University at Ilara, Epe, Lagos State.
With this, he has fulfilled his dream of adding value to the institution and its students.
Otedola, the Chancellor of Augustine University, handed over the edifice to the school yesterday, in the company of his mother and project inspirer, Lady Doja Otedola; Proprietor of the institution and Archbishop of the Metropolitan Sea of Lagos, Archbishop Adewale Martins, and other dignitaries.
Femi Otedola also laid the groundwork for phase 2 of the faculty complex, which he promised would be completed in not more than two years. The engineering faculty building has been named after Lady Doja Otedola in recognition of her dedication to the betterment of the university and its students.
Femi Otedola Remark: Speaking during the occasion, the serial entrepreneur said he made the commitment to donate just one building to the school back in March 2018. But later decided to increase his commitment. 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 the faculty of engineering building has become a reality.
- “On the 11th of March 2018, at the fundraising dinner organised by my sister, Dame Sena Anthony, I made the commitment to donate one building of the faculty of engineering to the university. On realising that the first building is a four-building complex, during my mother’s 90th birthday celebration last year, I increased my commitment to the engineering complex to the sum of N2 billion.
- “In fulfilment of this pledge, I am extremely delighted to be also turning the sod today for the commencement of building No 2 of the engineering faculty complex.
- “I hope the construction period for this building will not be more than two years in view of the envisaged rapid growth of the students of the university with the admission of engineering students in the school.”
He said his dream was to support Augustine University to become the number one centre of excellence in Africa for the study of various disciplines of engineering.
About the project: The newly built faculty of engineering was built on three floors and comprised thirty partitioned classrooms, five lecture rooms, two laboratories, and one library. This building is the first of four plots, and the construction for the second plot, that is, the department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering has commenced. This will be followed by the buildings of Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering respectively.