By Dipo Olowookere
The multi-million Naira Unibadan Business School being constructed by foremost Nigerian entrepreneur, Mr Aliko Dangote, would be delivered to the University of Ibadan in February 2018, Chief Executive of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Ms Zouera Youssoufou, has assured.
Speaking in a statement issued on Tuesday, Ms Youssoufou explained that the project is part of a N2 billion investment by the Aliko Dangote Foundation across various institutions in support of tertiary education in Nigeria.
The business mogul is also constructing same type of project in the Bayero University Kano (BUK) and will be ready for hand over to the university management anytime from now.
The UI project being undertaken by the Aliko Dangote Foundation was sequel to a pledge made by the business mogul last year during the convocation ceremony by the university when he was conferred honorary doctorate degree along with some other eminent Nigerians.
The University of Ibadan management later requested that the pledged funds be used to construct the building complex within the premises of the Business School under Professor Nike Oshofisan as the Director.
The University management has equally decided that the building, when completed, will be named ‘Aliko Dangote Complex’.
Ms Youssoufou stated that these projects are in line with the foundation’s mission to enhance opportunities for social change through strategic investments that improve health and wellbeing, promote quality education, and broaden economic empowerment opportunities.
On the Bayero Business School, the Foundation boss explained that on commencement, the business school will be only the third accredited business school in the country and the first in the North, others being University of Lagos Business School and University of Ibadan Business School.
She disclosed that the UI and BUK projects are complementary to the Foundation’s other tertiary education support projects such as the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria “where we are currently constructing 10 units of students’ dormitories and we expect that it would be ready by March.
“We have constructed and delivered students’ dormitories in this University, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
“We have constructed and delivered units of students’ dormitories and provided power generating set to Kano University of Science & Technology, Wudil and now we are in University of Ibadan.”
Presently, the Foundation is involved in N10 billion micro grants to women in all 774 local governments across the federation in a bid to ameliorate widespread poverty in Nigeria by empowering the women and the vulnerable in the society.
The fund disbursement is meant to enable recipients to meet immediate family and livelihood needs by providing a one-time grant to start up enterprises that will boost their economic and consumption activities and help reduce their vulnerability.
The fund has been disbursed in some states such as Lagos, Kogi, Jigawa, Kano and a host of others while Nassarawa, Niger and Osun states are being primed for the next round disbursement.
Mr Dangote stated that the grants which commenced disbursement in 2011, were intended as a cash transfer intervention – the Dangote Micro-grants Programme- to provide cash transfers to select poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
He said, “Our Programme provides a one-off grant that enables recipients to grow or start a small business, invest in productive assets, improve the health of their families, and/or take on new activities that reduce their vulnerability and enhance their economic standing.”
