Industrialist Lulu-Briggs Donates 5,000-Seat Auditorium to Baptist College of Theology

Dr Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs, Chairman and CEO of Moni Pulo Limited, has donated a 5,000-seater auditorium to the Baptist College of Theology, Obinze, Imo State, in a gesture she described as an act of obedience to divine instruction and an expression of her family’s longstanding commitment to Christian service.

The commissioning of the facility took place during the college’s 55th Convocation Ceremony and Fellowship Awards, where Dr Lulu-Briggs also delivered the keynote address. The event was preceded by a traditional ceremony in which she was conferred with the title Ezi Enyi 1 of Umuanunu— “A True Friend of Umuanunu”—by His Royal Highness Eze Geoffrey Ejimogu, Anunu I of the Umuanunu Autonomous Community.

Speaking at the palace, the monarch praised Lulu-Briggs for her contributions to nation-building and faith-based development. “She is a woman of immense substance whose works speak volumes across Nigeria,” he said. “Her giving is transformative and deeply rooted in spiritual obedience.”

Dr Lulu-Briggs described the traditional honour as “a gift of friendship forged in faith,” adding that “true friendship is not declared; it is lived—in service, in sacrifice, and in shared values.”

At the college, she was received with a guard of honour by the Royal Ambassadors and welcomed by cheering students and faculty. Dr Dawari George, Chairman of the college’s Board of Governors, commended her for responding to the need “with speed, clarity, and grace.”

The newly completed Dr Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs Auditorium includes lecture halls, conference rooms, media suites, administrative offices, and accessible features. According to the Nigerian Baptist Convention, it is one of the largest privately donated theological facilities in the country.

Rev Dr Israel Akanji, President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, formally commissioned the building and praised the scale of the donation. “In our 175-year history, no one has made a contribution of this scale,” he said. “May this place serve as an altar of revival, scholarship, and missionary preparation.”

In her keynote lecture, titled “Faith, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation: The Role of Theological Education for Enterprise Development in an Emerging Economy,” Lulu-Briggs challenged graduates to see their training as a foundation for influence in business, governance, and innovation, not just pulpit ministry.

“Faith must fuel enterprise, and enterprise must reflect the Kingdom,” she said. “The shoemaker who honours God is the one who makes good shoes—not the one who stamps crosses on them.”

Referencing biblical figures such as Joseph, Daniel, and Nehemiah, she spoke about purpose-led enterprise, citing her founding of La Sien Bottling Company as a business venture born out of obedience to God.

Other dignitaries present included Dr Elijah Brown, General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance; Rev Elias Apetogbo of the All-Africa Baptist Fellowship; Prof John Eyinnaya; and Deacon Biodun Oloyede.

The event ended with the symbolic handing over of the auditorium keys to Rev Dr Akanji. Lulu-Briggs described the gesture as “a gift to God and a seed for the future of faith-based leadership in Africa.”