UNILAG alumni plan for golden jubilee

By Damola Kola-Dare

The University of Lagos Alumni Association has unveiled plans for its forthcoming 50th anniversary which has as theme: Driving Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Agenda.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Alumni President, Dr. John Momoh said the celebration which would hold between October 13 and 26, would feature a lecture entitled: How Nigeria Can Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, to be delivered by  Dr Kandeh Yumkella, the immediate past Director-General, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on October 24.

Momoh, the Chairman, Channels TV, said the university had notable alumni all over the world making waves in various fields of endeavour, who  are well-placed to drive the SDGs.

He said: “The alumni will play its part to make the SDGs realisable to lift people out of poverty. Poverty should not be allowed in the country.”

Remarking on the alumni’s contributions to the university’s development, Momoh noted that the association’s current partnership with Zenith Bank is to build a state-of-the-art facility for students to access to gain more knowledge.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, noted that as a big brand, UNILAG boasts of the highest number of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) in the country.

He said the celebration was coming at the appropriate time when things were looking good for the institution in terms of world ranking, students excelling in competitions and getting  a research grant of N5 billion.

He praised the university’s alumni for its support.

“Historically, the alumni have done a lot for the university. Apart from supporting indigent students, they are erecting new hostel structures and giving continuous support to the school. They also give cash awards to exceptional students during the convocation,” he said.

Also speaking, Dr Waheed Olagunju called for support for the attainment of the SDGs which will become the template of development and actualisation of poverty eradication by 2030.

He said: “We want to solicit support for the SDGs. We want them to become the template of development.And the major goal we are working towards is to eradicate poverty by the year 2030”

Other programmes to commemorate the golden jubilee included an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for October 13; Jumat and Thanksgiving Service at the Jelili Omotola Hall (October 18 and 19); an exhibition by Nollywood stars (October 24) and dinner and award at the InterContinental Hotel, Victoria Island (October 26).