Old students should join hands with universities for more development – UI VC

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, has urged old students of the institution to support the university’s development efforts, stating that the government can no longer shoulder the responsibility alone.

He made this statement at the commissioning of a public address system donated by the Great Independence Hall Alumni Association (GIHA) and the unveiling of the alumni logo at the Junior Common Room, Independence Hall, University of Ibadan, on July 8, 2025.

Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Peter Olapegba, the Vice Chancellor encouraged the alumni to collaborate with the university administration to bring about more development in the university community.

“This is a great initiative and I am very happy about it. The installation of this public address system will go a long way in supporting activities in the hall, especially in the area of information dissemination,” he said.

While unveiling the system, Professor Joseph O. Iyaniwura, a retired professor of Statistics and one of the hall’s first occupants in 1963, expressed his delight at the initiative and praised the alumni for their efforts.

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He, however, expressed disappointment at the current state of infrastructure on campus compared to peer institutions established around the same time, citing Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, as an example.

An alumnus himself, Professor Iyaniwura said: “Things have deteriorated since our time. Back then, the halls of residence were like five-star hotels.”

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of visiting many universities outside Nigeria that were founded around the same time as the University of Ibadan. They’ve maintained their beauty. Makerere University, for example, has halls and cafeterias that still look new—spic and span—while here, we have allowed all sorts of misuse.

“I pray God will bless this country and change our situation,” he concluded.

One of the GIHA members, Mr Tony Adah, who flew in from the United States for the event, expressed excitement about the programme’s success. He explained that as an alumni group, they have an organised fundraising process. General funds are raised through registrations and dues, but special projects like this require targeted appeals to members.

He revealed that the public address system project cost the association N3 million, and many members responded positively to the call for donations.

“As undergraduates, we were told to go through the institution and also let the institution go through us. We were taught to maintain a relationship with the university, and I believe that’s what keeps bringing us back to give,” he said.

Adedayo Emmanuel, a student from the Department of Economics, went home with a cash prize of N200,000 after his design was selected as the best for the new alumni logo. Alonge Ayomide, from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, came second and received N50,000.

The former public address system had been in place since the hall’s opening in 1961.