“Universities across the world rely not only on tuition fees and government/private subvention but also on sustainable financial vehicles such as endowments. An endowment fund ensures financial stability provides long term support for academic excellence, and strengthens a university’s competitiveness. Professor Lawrence I Ezemonye, Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada.

“Numerous are the streams that lead to social prosperity, but, all spring from the same source and that is excellent education.” Gaspar Jovellanos,1744-1811.

A TALE OF THREE UNIVERSITIES

Harvard University was the first private university founded in the United States in 1636.

University of Oxford was founded in 1167 as the first private university in England..

Igbinedion University, Nigeria, was established in 1999 as the first private university. 

The three foreign universities as well as other first private universities, share one thing in common – the belief by their founders that education should not be left to governments alone. Private individuals or groups should also undertake the difficult task of training the leaders of tomorrow.

Unfortunately, there the similarities between Igbinedion, Harvard and Oxford ends. While Americans and Britons supported their first universities, Nigerians have disregarded their own. I will presently return to this point later.

Globally, university education is the apex of the national education network. Its vibrancy determines the fate of every country. A glance at the list of the universities ranked top 1000 will also reveal the indisputable correlation between the quality of education and the nation’s competitiveness and prosperity. Thus, Nigerians are poor because among other causes, the nation’s education is in disarray. 

While this article is being written, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU is again threatening to go on strike; and government, once again is desperately trying to ward off the strike. Irrespective of how the current impasse is resolved, one thing is certain. Sooner, rather than later, another strike will be called within a year. Nations which never learn from the lessons of their own history are doomed to repeat the same mistakes several times. It is noteworthy that among the causes of the present conflict was the failure of governments, since 2009, to redeem a promise made to universities’ staff. Perhaps, there is no other nation comparable to Nigeria in terms of size of population,  land mass and Gross Domestic Product, GDP, which experiences the same repeated disruption to academic programmes as Nigeria.

 Years ago, when the Lagos State University, LASU, was a hot-bed of academic programme disruptions, I pulled one of my nephews out of LASU and got him enrolled at University of Ife – before Great Ife also joined the perpetual strikes ravaging educational excellence in Nigeria. Akin, that was his name, finished two full years before his mates who were stuck in LASU. He was already earning good money in a bank; while his friends were still participating in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.

WHY THIS INTERVENTION? THE PLUMBER AND HARVARD STORY

“A rolling stone gathers no moss”; that is what we have been taught since childhood. It basically true; but, it tells only half the story. Standing in one spot, the stationary stone can never match a rolling one in terms of variety of experience. You might be wondering what all these have to do with Endowment Fund. Be patient. I first heard the term during the Summer holidays in the USA in 1965. Universities were mostly closed and students were let loose to do whatever they liked with themselves. I was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, doing Summer work in a container factory and I needed an apartment. One was available behind the perimeter wall of Harvard University. The landlord lived on the upper floor. He was a Polish immigrant; whose parents were caught as they were fleeing German Gestapo. Fortunately, he reached America – with little or no education. The established Polish community helped him to get a part time work and to learn a trade – plumbing. But, he was a God-made entrepreneur. He eventually became a Plumbing Contractor employing over 70 people. He was fanatical about education and would have sent his only son to university; but, the son and his wife died in a car accident. He rented an apartment to me and was actually very supportive. He could not understand how “somebody from the jungle of Africa” (his exact words) could speak better English than most Americans.

 I had the shock of my life one day after telling him I was going to the Harvard Library to read a book. Then he said:

“My boy, do you mind taking a cheque to the Administration Office for me and collect a receipt.”

“Gladly Sir”.

“I collected the receipt and could not help reading the old man was paying for. It said “$2000 for Endowment Fund”.

I  cancelled the Library session; ran home and asked him why he was contributing to Harvard’s Endowment Fund since he stood to gain nothing by it. His answer will remain with me until I die.

“Giving American kids the best education possible is the duty of every citizen of this country. Those kids represent our future.”

WHY NIGERIANS SHOULD DO THE SAME – FOR OUR OWN GOOD

“Imitation is the sincerest for of flattery.”

Later during my ten years in the USA, I came across at least seven more individuals, who never attended any university, Harvard included, who donated to their premier university. Invariably, their answer to the question “why?” received the same answer. “If someone or some people were patriotic enough to establish a university, then the rest of us owe our nation the obligation of ensuring that, as much as possible, those institutions survive and they can fulfill their missions including, but not limited to: expanding human knowledge, confronting the problems of their era and providing the well-trained individuals who would constitute the leaders of tomorrow and the top level manpower in the public and private sectors. Without holding a meeting or even meeting each other, these people were contributing to their society what we in Nigeria are not.

 I am not a product of a Nigerian university; and let me confess that the idea of assisting in the fund raising efforts of a school or university in Nigeria never occurred to me until Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association, GCUOBA, invited me early this year to deliver the Keynote Address during the schools eightieth anniversary. The need for intervention in Igbinedion University’ s drive for financial security escaped me until the book titled CHIEF GABRIEL OSAWARU IGBINEDION – THE CHRONICLES OF A LEGEND – was launched on July 31, 2025 in Abuja. Professor Ezemonye was the reviewer. Expectedly, Prof delivered a scholarly master piece – which sold the book to those in attendance. Off the written text he then mentioned that the proceeds from the book launch would be used to beef up the University’s Endowment Fund. As a life-long salesman, starting with when my mother would leave me in the shop and going to major in Marketing for my MBA in Boston, USA, almost 40 years in Marketing and Sales functions and finally ending as a Senior Lecturer/Consultant (Marketing and Sales, at the Nigerian Institute of Management, Victoria Island, Lagos, it was obvious to me that something was missing. 

The author of the book, Christopher Elomien had done a wonderful job with the materials at his disposal as Prof pointed out. Perhaps, it never occurred to them that they were offering three inextricably bound products to the Nigerian public in particular and to the world in general – the Esama of the Universe as Chief Igbinedion was named by a first line traditional ruler in Yorubaland, the book itself and the Endowment Fund.

 Instinctively, it occurred to me that they need the assistance of a Sales man to promote all the products on offer – especially the University Endowment Fund. I readily volunteer. Stated briefly, Igbinedion University Okada needs your help…..

To be continued next week

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO CHIEF, SIR, DR GABRIEL IGBINEDION

“Living well is the best revenge”.

And when you add long life and prosperity, the victory over ill-wishers is complete. The Osama of Benin Kingdom, Osawaru Igbinedion, has certainly been blessed with good and long life. Get a copy of the book. Even if you are one of those billions worldwide who no longer read books, all you need to do is to go to the Tributes and read what the most famous and powerful individuals in our era wrote about the man.

 Since it is not possible to please everybody, it is quite possible that there might be those individuals who feel aggrieved by what Chief Igbinedion might have done to them or failed to do for them. That is understandable.

 To them I say remember this: nobody is perfect. As for me, any one who has started a school or university can be forgiven a multitude of sins.

Chief Gabriel Igbinedion was born on September 11, 1934; he was 91 years old on Thurday.

Happy birthday, Chief. We already washed it in Lagos.