By Ganiyat Mumuni
Governor Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu has commissioned a newly built 550-seater auditorium at the Epe campus of Lagos State University (LASU).
The facility donated by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Mr. Olatunji Bello was described as a landmark contribution andas part of his commitment to education and service to Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu praised the gesture while noting that the auditorium will serve as a hub for academic discourse, cultural exchange, and strategic gatherings, while also creating an enabling environment for students to excel.
“This building is more than just an auditorium—it is a space where ideas will be shared, and where our students will be inspired to aim higher,”
“For our students, this is a gift of opportunity that will enrich learning and strengthen LASU’s culture of excellence for years to come.” Sanwo-Olu said.
He commended Bello’s philanthropy, emphasizing that it aligns with his administration’s THEMES+ Agenda to strengthen education through partnerships and community-driven initiatives.
The Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC ,Hon. Olatunji Bello while speaking at the inauguration noted that he decided to build an auditorium for the Lagos State University (LASU) as a way of sowing seed in the vineyard of knowledge, instead of spending lavishly on a birthday party when he clocked 60 in 2021.
“Without wishing to sound sanctimonious or all-righteous, one point I like to seize this moment to make is the consequential choice between transient enjoyment and posterity. Thus, 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,
“Besides, this is my humble way of supporting the argument that public purpose is served better by helping public universities fill the infrastructural gap,
“Certainly, the government alone cannot do it. Private individuals who really have the means should invest in public tertiary education to create more opportunities as prevalent in several developed countries,” he said.
Olatunji Bello added that he had to sell a property of his in Magodo, Lagos few years ago when the cost of materials shot up drastically.
The donor had earlier on his 50th birthday in 2011, instituted annual prizes in five disciplines namely, Law, Mass Communications, Social Sciences, Engineering and Medicine at the same university.
“So, as my 60th birthday approached in 2021, the concern was how I could do more. For me, the idea of throwing a big party to mark the occasion was completely off the table. My darling wife, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the very able Madam Vice Chancellor of this great university, is the one who initially mooted the idea of building something for LASU to mark my 60th birthday. She was not yet the Vice Chancellor then. I never gave much thought to her suggestion immediately until few days later,” he added.
