McPherson University commissions projects, seeks infrastructural partnership

McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State, on Monday, commissioned a 300-bed male hall of residence and a 500-capacity lecture theatre. 

The new hall, named Caronc Students’ Hall of Residence, according to the university management, was constructed by Caronc Engineering and Construction Limited, through the ‘build, operate, and transfer’ partnership initiative. 

The vice chancellor of the faith-based private university, Professor Francis Igbasan, stated that the facilities represent the university’s unwavering commitment to providing a conducive, secure, and world-class environment for teaching and learning. 

The vice chancellor appreciated the partners, who built the hall and lecture theatre, seizing the opportunity to seek more partnerships for the collective interest of advancing the university. 

The pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Reverend Dr Babatunde Idowu, stressed that without a sustainable partnership, the infrastructural development of the university will be slow. 

Dr Idowu revealed that inadequate infrastructure, especially hall accommodations and lecture halls, has affected the admissions quota of the university from over a thousand in previous years to around seven hundred in the last admission exercise.

In light of this, the pro-chancellor called on the stakeholders and friends of the university to double their momentum in seeking partnerships and donors who would assist in developing the university. 

The chairman of Caronc Engineering and Construction Limited, Christopher Alabi, stated that the essence of the partnership is to enhance the learning environment for students. 

While stressing the importance of the ‘build, operate, and transfer’ partnership initiative in the development of universities, Alabi recommended regular and consistent maintenance of the Caronc Students’ Hall of Residence to ensure its sustainability and longevity. 

A former member of the university’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr Adebola Olubanjo, stressed that the time had come for McPherson University to be favoured, adding that in the face of success and development, the management, staff, partners, and supporters of the university should not relax, but should do even more. 

He said McPherson University shares almost similar initial developmental stages with Stanford University, Harvard University, and Oxford University, adding that McPherson should emulate these universities, especially in how to partner with industries, create endowment funds, and conduct innovative research. 

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The Visitor of the university and the General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Reverend Dr Sam Aboyeji, while commissioning the hall and lecture theatre, appreciated the partners for transforming the university into a city for academic excellence. 

He stated that all hands must be on deck to ensure the development of the university, adding, “We must work together to ensure the name of the university is bigger than other universities that came before it.”