All varsities to be energy-sufficient next year, says minister

•From left: Executive Commissioner (Ops) FCCPC, Louis Odion; Omatseye; Prof. Olatunji-Bello; Bello; former Lagos State Speaker, Bola Ikuforiji and Director –General/CEO Micheal Imodu National Institute for Labour Studies, Issa Aremu, at the ceremony PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

It was all cheering news yesterday for the Lagos State University (LASU), Epe Campus and the public tertiary institutions in the country. The LASU Epe Campus benefitted from the large heart of the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Olatunji Bello, with the inauguration of a 550-capacity multi-purpose hall he donated. The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who inaugurated the project, directed an immediate intervention to address LASU’s power challenges. At the same event, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced that all the public tertiary institutions in the country will by next year run on mini-grids that will make them fully energy-sufficient, Damola Kola-Dare and Chinyere Okoroafor report

• Tunji Bello donates auditorium to LASU

All tertiary institutions in the country will run on mini-grids that will make them fully energy-sufficient next year, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa announced yesterday.

He disclosed this at the inauguration of the newly-built Olatunji Bello Auditorium, a 550-capacity multi-purpose auditorium donated to the Lagos State University (LASU), Epe campus, by the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Olatunji Bello.

 “The President has committed that by this time next year, literally all tertiary institutions in the country will have mini-grids that will make them energy sufficient. We need this to unleash the capabilities of our youth in the area of research, technology and everything they do,” Alausa said.

He revealed that a 5MW mini-grid has already been approved for LASU’s Epe campus, while the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) will deliver an 11MW mini-grid for the main campus in Ojo.

The minister praised the donor Bello for building the 550-seater ultra-modern auditorium. He described it as “a living testament to how visionary citizens can shape institutions and inspire generations.”

Lagos State Governor and Visitor to the institution, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who inaugurated the project, praised Bello, who was a former Lagos State Commissioner, Secretary to the State Government, lawyer and journalist, for fulfilling his pledge to invest in education despite economic headwinds.

“This magnificent edifice is more than a building; it is a beacon of knowledge, creativity, cultural exchange and intellectual engagement. It stands as a testament to giving back to the society,” Sanwo-Olu added.

The governor noted that in the next 60 days, the state government would inaugurate the largest university library in Nigeria at LASU’s Ojo main campus, alongside other student-friendly facilities.

“We remain resolute in our commitment to strengthening LASU’s place as Nigeria’s foremost state university. With projects like these, our vision of a globally competitive institution is within reach,” he said.

An erstwhile Ogun State Governor, Aremu Olusegun Osoba, described the project as a mark of gratitude and selflessness. According to him, many Nigerians spent hundreds of millions on parties for milestone birthdays, but Bello decided to channel such resources into a project that will benefit education and society. “We Nigerians will say things are hard, yet I still go to parties where decoration alone costs about N200 million, and food not less than N500 million. Tunji could have chosen to celebrate lavishly, but he decided to put that money to the use of humanity. For this, we thank God for his life,” Osoba said.

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Osoba, who noted that he has shared a long bond of friendship with Bello since their days as journalists, described him as “a man of honour who has remained committed to humanity and education”.

In a lighter mood, the elder statesman teased Bello over his membership of the Organisation of Past Editors Club (OPEC), a group of veteran journalists. He joked that despite his long-standing request, he had not been inducted into the club and appealed to Bello to use his “executive powers” as chairman to facilitate his inclusion. He lauded Bello’s contributions to education and society, stressing that such acts of service reflect the values of the Southwest.

“We are celebrating a man who has given to society, a man doing everything possible to elevate education. That is the hallmark of those of us from the Southwest,” he added.

On why he embarked on the project, Bello said the gesture was his way of investing in posterity rather than fleeting personal celebrations. “By choosing to invest the money through sowing the seed in the vineyard of knowledge, I believe we are invariably preserving my 60th birthday cake in a way that it will be shared and savoured by many generations to come,” he said.

He revealed that the idea was first suggested by his wife, LASU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, and that construction began in 2021 with the support of friends and associates who converted their intended birthday gifts into cash donations.

Despite facing financial challenges due to inflation and rising costs, Bello said he remained committed, even selling his property to ensure the project was completed. Bello also urged students to utilise the facility very well, telling them to draw inspiration from the inscription at the entrance: “Investment in education pays the best interest.” Prof. Olatunji-Bello said the facility represents more than architectural beauty, but a strategic investment in academic excellence and institutional identity.

“It reinforces the fundamental truth that when we invest in education, we invest in tomorrow’s leaders. Hon. Tunji Bello has, through word and deed, inscribed his name in the permanent record of LASU’s growth story,” she added.

At the ceremony were notable dignitaries from both federal and state levels, alongside political leaders, technocrats, and traditional rulers. Among them were the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, members of the House of Representatives, including Wale Raji, Dr.  Paul Kalejaye, and Hon. Wale  Oshun. The Lagos State Government was well-represented with Rashid Shabi of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Bode Agoro, Head of Service, and Mr. Tolani Sule, Commissioner for Tertiary Education. Others included Mr. Adeniran Kasali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education, and Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State. Also at the occasion were Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, former CEO and Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and Mr. Adeniji Kazim, SAN, a former cabinet member and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The traditional institution was equally represented by the Oloja of Epe, Alaiyeluwa Oba Kamorudeen Ishola Animashaun. Media friends include the Chairman, Editorial Board of The Nation Newspaper, Sam Omatseye, Sanya Oni, Tunji Adegboyega, among others.