The wife of President Bola Tinubu, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated ₦50 million to Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) as an endowment fund. The announcement was made during the university’s 15th convocation ceremony on Friday, where Tinubu was represented by Ekiti State First Lady, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji. Tinubu also received an honorary doctorate at the event.
The PUNCH reports that she said, “Today in my pursuit and support of education, I hereby donate a sum of N50 million as an endowment fund to the overall best female graduating students of Joseph Ayo Babalola University.
However, in his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Dr Joash Amupitan, said the school had decided to spread the ₦50 million across 10 years in a way that each overall best female graduating student would be offered ₦50 million each year for 10 years, beginning from this year, courtesy of Tinubu’s ₦50 million endowment fund.
The Pro-Chancellor stated, “Each year, the recipient will receive N5 million, a generous initiative sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu. This award, aptly named the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Prize for Academic Excellence, underscores our dedication to recognising and rewarding outstanding achievement.
“I am pleased to announce that this year, the overall best-graduating student is a female—a testament to the remarkable strides women are making in education. Furthermore, I must commend the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has already credited the university’s account with an impressive N50 million to support this noble cause.”
Addressing the graduating students, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Olaosebikan Fakolujo, admonished them to be good ambassadors of the varsity and make a positive impact on the development of the institution.
The don said, “I like to congratulate all graduates of today and to rejoice with you for attaining the important milestone in your pursuit of university education.
“I am sure that you will be good ambassadors of JABU and make positive contributions to the growth and development aspirations of Nigeria. My charge to you is to continue to imbibe the motto and spirit of the university, ‘For Knowledge and Godly Service.’”
At the ceremony, the VC disclosed that a total of 626 students of the institution were conferred with first degrees while 114 students graduated at the postgraduate level.
Giving the breakdown of the category of degrees, Fakolujo said, “Out of these 626 graduands, 50 made first-class honours, 290 in the second-class upper division, 215 in the second-class lower division, 67 made third class and four graduated with pass.”
