…as UNIOSUN holds 1st Folorunso Alakija lecture

By Shina Abubakar Osogbo

A Professor of law practice, Mr Yusuf Ali, SAN, has disclosed that achieving nation building is anchored on ethical citizenship that prioritizes service over self achievement.

Delivering the first Folorunso Alakija lecture organised by Osun State University, UNIOSUN, at the university auditorium in Osogbo on Wednesday, Ali said nations advances when leadership serves public good.

The lecture, titled: “A Life of Impact and a Legacy of Service: Lessons from Folorunso Alakija”, centres around Alakija’s contribution to societal growth.

The guest speaker emphasised the need for individual to prioritize public good which the life of the immediate past Chancellor of the University epitomizes.

His words, “National transformation begins with ethical citizens. Beyond personal development, a nation advances when education serves development, enterprise serves society, leadership serves public good, privilege servers justice and citizens play their roles.

“National transformation is not abstract, it is built through citizens formed by these values. This is why universities, leadership and service matters. Nation building begins in the moral commitments of people”.

Drawing inspiration from Alakija’s impactful life, he said, “the life of Dr. Folorunso Alakija does not merely present accomplishment to be celebrated. It offers principles to be learned and imbibed .

“It does not merely tell us what one person has achieved, it asks what each of us may become and that is why this lecture is not fundamental about biography, it is about the kind of lives worthy of being lived. It is about the kind of leadership worthy of being pursued. It is about the kind of legacy being built. In that sense, this lecture speaks not only about about one remarkable woman. It speaks to every scholar, every student, every leader and every citizen”.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Prof. Odunayo Adebooye, said the former chancellor’s impact was beneficial to the university, describing her contributions as significant to UNIOSUN’s growth.

Adebooye noted that Alakija donated N250 million for the construction of the road leading to the university, and later built a N34 billion state-of-the-art medical research and training hospital.

In his remarks, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the first visitor to UNIOSUN, represented by his wife, Omolola, expressed satisfaction that the vision for establishing the university has been achieved.

He thanked Apostle Alakija for her contributions over the last ten years, saying the legacy she left behind would remain enduring.