Celebrating Four Decades of Lighting The Path of Academic Excellence: OOU Kicks Off Its 40th Anniversary Celebration

After four decades of providing the best educational experience through excellence in teaching, research, and creative activities, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), a state-owned University in Ogun state, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with the theme “OOU AT 40: LIGHTING THE PATH OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.”

Established in 1982  and named after the state’s first governor, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo but commenced activities on 31^st January, 1983, the University was founded with the goal of identifying and addressing the State’s problems. Over the past 40 years, it has upheld this reputation by offering innovative solutions.

The 40th Anniversary celebration will take place over a six-month period and involve key stakeholders and members of the public. It began on the University’s Founder’s Day, 31^st January, 2023, with a media parley by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Ayodeji Olayinka Johnson Agboola, and will culminate in an Anniversary Gala Night on 23^rd June,  2023. Other events include Special Jumu?at and Church thanksgiving services, academic lectures, an alumni day, a beauty pageant, sporting activities, a dinner/gala night, a campus beautification project, and other stakeholders? engagement activities.

In his address to the media on the first day of the anniversary, the VC said: “The 40th Anniversary celebrations aim to highlight the achievements of the university, celebrate its growth and successes, and bring the university community together with its alumni, the public, the corporate world, and society at large.” He added that OOU is just getting started and that the current administration, which took office in October 2022, is poised to take the University to the next level by consolidating past achievements and implementing strategic intervention pillars. The VC also stated that the University aims to achieve academic excellence, high-impact research, improved student experience, entrepreneurial linkages and partnerships, and increased, sustainable funding.

The 40th Anniversary celebration is a collaborative effort that involves the entire OOU community, including the alumni, who are leading the initiative to raise a N100 billion endowment fund for the University. The celebration also involves the Governing Council, the Senate, the Management, Colleges and Faculties, staff, students, elected representatives, Federal and State governments, scholars, and professionals from Nigeria and abroad.

As OOU looks back at 40 years of shaping minds and creating solutions, let us celebrate an institution that puts the development of people for the purpose of serving the nation at the core of its mission. For more information, visit the University’s website at www.oouagoiwoye.edu.ng