First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has fulfilled the first phase of her pledge to her alma mater, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, with the donation of 21 new shuttle buses to the institution.
According to a statement by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, the gesture is part of a total pledge of 50 buses aimed at modernising OAU’s internal transport system.
The vehicles were delivered exactly one year after Mrs. Tinubu announced the donation.
Olarewaju said the initiative began in October 2024 when the First Lady, during the 50th birthday of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, expressed concern over the heavy reliance on commercial motorcycles within the campus. Describing the situation as “unbefitting of a 21st-century world-class African university,” she pledged to provide safer, modern alternatives.
The first batch of white shuttle buses arrived on October 10, drawing excitement from students and staff as the vehicles were unveiled and test-driven by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Adebayo Bamire and other management members.
Prof. Bamire hailed the donation as “a luminous act of benevolence that illuminates OAU’s path toward excellence.” He said the buses will replace unsafe motorcycles, connect lecture halls, hostels, and offices, and “revolutionise our internal mobility with comfort and safety.”
The vice-chancellor added that the initiative would also promote environmental sustainability and inclusivity for persons with mobility challenges. He urged other alumni to emulate Mrs. Tinubu’s example by supporting the university through endowments, mentorship, and innovation.
He described the First Lady’s gesture as “a timely intervention that sets a powerful precedent for philanthropy in education.”
Share this post
Be the first to comment on this post