The Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Kayode Adebowale, has commended alumni contributions and faculty leadership for sustaining infrastructural growth in the institution.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adebowale stated this in Ibadan on Tuesday while inaugurating four major projects executed by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UI. He stated that sustaining investment in infrastructure was a veritable means of achieving academic excellence, which UI had been known for over the years.
Adebowale said that dwindling government subvention required universities to look inward, stressing that alumni funding remained vital. He cited Ivy League institutions where alumni endowments enabled financial independence and robust academic and infrastructural development globally.
“During a visit to an Ivy League university in the United States, we learnt that their alumni endowment stands close to $100 billion. With such support, universities can function independently. Financial autonomy determines genuine autonomy: as long as we depend on external funding, we cannot claim complete independence. Currently, federal universities in Nigeria do not charge significant tuition fees, and our overhead allocation is inadequate. For instance, our overhead is about ₦24 million, while our monthly expenditure exceeds ₦300 million. These realities make alumni support indispensable,” Adebowale said.
The Vice-Chancellor urged stronger alumni engagement with UI, noting efforts to build a comprehensive database to strengthen relationships were ongoing. Adebowale said that meaningful engagement would inspire graduates to contribute significantly towards the university’s advancement and autonomy. He praised the Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Prof. Olufunke Ola-Davies, for her resource mobilisation, describing her leadership as instrumental in executing impactful projects. The projects, he said, had improved teaching, research infrastructure and overall service delivery within the faculty.
