By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

ILE-IFE — The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has announced that the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, will deliver the institution’s 65th anniversary lecture as part of activities marking its founding anniversary.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Simeon Bamire, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the university campus in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

According to Bamire, the minister will speak on the theme: “65 Years of Excellence: OAU and the Future of Nigerian Higher Education.”

The Vice-Chancellor said the anniversary celebration would also feature the inauguration of the Intercultural Dialogue and Youth Empowerment Centre, a facility designed to promote leadership development, intercultural understanding, youth empowerment and national integration.

He noted that over the past 65 years, the university has continued to strengthen its reputation as a leading institution of higher learning through research, innovation and international collaborations.

According to him, the institution has expanded its research profile through the development of patents, strategic partnerships and active participation in global academic and research networks.

“The university continues to expand its research profile through patents, international collaborations and strategic memberships of major research networks, including the Association of African Universities, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the African Research Universities Alliance and several other global platforms,” Bamire said.

He added that the institution remains committed to its mandate of producing highly skilled manpower for national development, noting that it has grown significantly from its modest beginning with 244 students at inception.

“For 65 years, this university has remained a beacon of learning, culture, innovation, leadership and service. Our commitment to excellence remains unwavering, while our vision for the future is bold, strategic and transformational,” he stated.

Bamire further highlighted the university’s growing partnerships with industry and private-sector organisations, saying such collaborations are helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and digital transformation.

He listed some of the institution’s recent partners as Origin Tech Group, SmartCity, Techbrokers Limited and Schooltry, noting that the collaborations span agriculture, technology, student accommodation, entrepreneurship and academic development.

The Vice-Chancellor also paid tribute to the founding vision of the university, recalling that the institution was established through the efforts of the late Obafemi Awolowo and other nationalist leaders who believed in accessible and transformative education.

“This institution emerged from the visionary leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and other distinguished founding fathers who believed that education should be accessible, functional, transformative and capable of liberating the human mind.

“They envisioned a university of the highest international standard that would serve as a centre of learning, culture, research, innovation and societal advancement. Sixty-five years later, that vision remains alive and vibrant,” he said.

The anniversary celebration is expected to bring together academics, policymakers, alumni and other stakeholders to reflect on the university’s achievements and its role in shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.