Adeleke Advocates Endowment Fund for Technology, Innovation
…as MicCom donates N150m to OAU
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has underscored the importance of sustained investment in education, particularly in technology and innovation, as a catalyst for national development.
Adeleke made the call on Thursday at the launch and cheque presentation of a N150 million MicCom Memorial Endowment Fund in honour of the late Prince Michael and Mrs Comfort Ponle at Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
The governor commended the Ponle family for immortalising the legacy of the deceased through the initiative, noting that such interventions promote academic excellence and professional discipline.
According to him, the endowment would support bright engineering students, strengthen research and innovation, and bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application.
“Such initiatives promote academic excellence, strengthen research and innovation, and ensure that our graduates are not only skilled but also guided by integrity and a sense of national duty,” Adeleke said.
Earlier, speaking on behalf of the family, Managing Director of MicCom, Mrs Bukola Adubi, said the fund was designed not only to preserve the memory of the late couple but also to serve as a platform for training future engineers and innovators.
She explained that the endowment would provide resources to support outstanding students, promote research and intellectual inquiry, and encourage practical application of engineering knowledge to solve real-world problems.
Adubi added that the initiative would help nurture talents capable of contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s technological advancement.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Professor Simeon Bamire, described the N150 million endowment as a visionary investment aimed at driving sustainable development through engineering and innovation.
He said the fund would enhance academic excellence through cutting-edge research, provide scholarships for deserving students, improve facilities, and equip the next generation of engineers to address pressing technological and infrastructural challenges in Nigeria and across Africa.
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