….Says balanced education transforms lives

By Adesina Wahab

The proprietor, Sultan Hanafi Royal College, Mr Zakariya Olanrewaju Anofi, has described formal education that is not complemented with the teaching of sound morals and good virtues as nothing but a waste of time and efforts.

According to him, a balanced education is capable of transforming lives and producing citizens who will make their country proud.

He stated this during the inauguration of the school in Ikorodu, Lagos.

“Sultan Hanafi Royal College was established as my contribution to society, inspired by a deeply held belief that education is the foundation for sustainable development and societal growth. This school is named after my late father, Sultan Hanafi Aliu Akano, whose love for education and dedication to philanthropy in his little way left an indelible mark on me. His passion for seeing his children succeed through learning motivated me to carry on his legacy and create an institution that serves as a beacon of hope and knowledge for the community.

“Our mission is to provide a holistic education that combines Islamic and secular knowledge through rigorous research and effective teaching. This commitment concerns academic achievement, character building, nurturing leadership, and promoting ethical behaviour among our students. We aim to raise well-rounded individuals who can contribute meaningfully to society by embedding these values in our teaching. It is our conviction that grooming our children with quality education and ethical conduct will go a long way to reducing crime in our society, we believe this makes common sense than sending clerics to the correctional centres afterwards to preach whatever gospels after crime commitment,” he said.

On the need to cater for less privileged children, Anofi explained that his school had set up a fund to handle that and called on well-meaning people to support the effort.

“We have established the Sultan Hanafi Royal College Endowment Fund to address this. This fund is designed to ensure that every student can receive quality education, notwithstanding financial constraints. As part of our mission to impart knowledge and promote ethical behaviour, we view this initiative as an extension of our commitment to fostering a secure, informed, and progressive society. By supporting this fund, you will be helping to create an environment where every child, regardless of their economic situation, has access to the resources they need to thrive. Our budget for this 2024/2025 academic session suggests that we need to spend circa N10, 000,000 to provide support to the less privileged.”

Thanking Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, who was the Special Guest of Honour, Anofi said, “Your Excellency, your presence today underscores your unwavering commitment to the advancement of education and the growth of our community. I am grateful for the support you have shown me and my family. Your impact in my life has been immeasurable and I shall continue to cherish this forever.

“It is only fitting to express my deepest gratitude to Governor Makinde for his steadfast support throughout the building of Sultan Hanafi Royal College. Your encouragement and financial assistance have brought this project to life. This school, which we commission today, is a proof of your belief in the power of quality education as a tool for societal progress. Your dedication to fostering educational development has set an exemplary standard, and we are privileged to have benefited from your leadership and commitment.”

Governor Makinde, in his remarks, described Anofi as a man of integrity.

“The vision bearer of the Sultan Hanafi Royal College, Mr Anofi Olanrewaju is a colleague in the office even though I founded the company. He is my Chief Accountant.

“If he has not been a trustworthy and person of integrity I wouldn’t be here today. You know the most difficult place to work is Account Department.

“You may see this school  we are Commissioning today as a small begining, but it will germinate even though it is a faith based school. The seed you sowed will germinate. Students that finish from here will impact the society. When I campaigned to be Oyo State Governor, we promised to focus on four pillars of which education is one.

“We were in Finland in about seven weeks ago. This is a country of about five million people. I asked our host, do you have oil? He said no. Do you have solid minerals? He said, no. He  said, they have education. This prove to us that any investment in education is not wasted,” he stated.

He also donated N10 million to the endowment fund set up by Anofi.

In his lecture titled “Education: The Ultimate Treasure,” the Chief Imam of Lekki, Lagos,  Dr Ridwanullah Jamiu, explained what school stands for.

“School stands for being able to guide spiritually, ability to be set on a career path, imbibing honesty, having orientation about one’s culture, learning to organise and be orderly and having a good legacy to leave behind.”

Dr Mujitaba Yusuf Bature, the Grand Ajanasi of Ilorin Emirate, who represented the Emir of Ilorin at the event, commended Anofi’s effort to contribute to the expansion of knowledge and the grooming of future leaders.