Tag: AMIR Fund

The AMIR Fund has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta, Ogun State, formally reviving its long-standing prize-giving tradition and expanding the fund’s impact in education.

Outstanding students and a dedicated teacher were honoured with cash prizes and gifts for their excellence and commitment at the event.

So far, the fund has supported 56 beneficiaries, creating opportunities and driving positive impact across multiple communities. AMIR Fund’s founder and school alumnus, Ridwan Sorunke, reflected on the revived tradition’s personal significance, recalling his time as a student more than 18 years ago.

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“When I discovered this ceremony had stopped, I felt something valuable was missing. That is why I wanted to help bring it back, because this tradition profoundly impacted my generation,” he said.

“Many times, I did not win prizes. But I made a decision that has guided me all my life: I would keep showing up, learning, and dreaming bigger than my situation.

“That decision carried me from Afrogramms classrooms to building companies like Dev-Afrique and Policy Vault and advising governments and organisations across Africa.”

Principal of African Grammar School, Mr. Samson Adekunte, expressed gratitude, describing the initiative as “a good way to encourage students and inspire teachers to continue striving for excellence.”

The partnership between AMIR Fund and African Church Grammar School, sealed on September 23, 2025, strengthens the connection between the institution and its distinguished former student who has returned to invest in the community that shaped his early life.

The AMIR Fund for Education, Science, and Technology, through FirstBank Trustees, has established a fund dedicated to bolstering research in molecular biology and oncology at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed with the university on August 22, is in line with AMIR’s commitment to advancing local scientific research.

The endowment is structured to support OAU in two distinct but related areas: it will support biomedical and oncology research efforts in Prof. Adebayo Shittu’s Laboratory within the Department of Microbiology.

It will also establish an annual postgraduate research fellowship award to support master’s and doctoral students focused on molecular biology and oncology research within the laboratory.

AMIR Fund founder Ridwan Sorunke emphasised his personal connection to OAU and Prof. Shittu’s influence, who mentored him during his time at the university.

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“This endowment is rooted in my gratitude for the education I received in this institution and the guidance I was given.

“This fund is designed to catalyse local finances and build a robust framework for scientific research, right here in Nigeria, ensuring that our brightest minds have the resources they need,” Sorunke said.

 He also emphasised that this initiative is “the first of many” and hopes that “with this template that has been designed, we would be able to sustain and continue it along the line.”

The Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof. Adebayo Bamire, thanked AMIR Fund for the initiative, stating that it would be “instrumental in helping to scale forward many innovations in the department as well as the school itself.”

 He urged other alumni to follow this example and give back to their alma mater.

Founder of the Molecular Bacteriology Laboratory, Prof. Adebayo Shittu, expressed how the fund would significantly improve the department’s work, recalling an experience from his own PhD days.

 This experience, he said, made him resolve to ensure his students would not face the same challenges, a commitment he has been upholding through his work.

“The fund is a bold commitment to nurturing excellence and rewarding dedication.

“Every act of giving through AMIR FEST is Ridwan’s quiet, powerful way of saying, ‘I was once where you are and someone believed in me. Now, I believe in you’”.

The AMIR Fund for Education, Science, and Technology is an expandable endowment fund committed to advancing education, science, and technology at secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Rooted in the personal journey of its founder, AMIR Fund supports scientific and technological research and promotes educational excellence in students and teachers through scholarships, awards, and grants.

 Also at the signing were Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Academic, Prof. G. A. Aderonmu; Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Administration, Prof. E. O. Akinfala; Director of Linkages and Partnerships Office, Prof. A. I. Oluwaranti; Vice Dean, Representing the Dean, Faculty of Science, Dr. B. Igbeneghu; Representative of the University Librarian, Dr. O. O. Omooboye; OAU Directorate of Legal Services, Mrs. O. T. Shittu; Members of Prof Shittu’s Research Team and Representatives from FirstBank Trustees and Dev Afrique Development Advisors.