Kwara gov unveils KWASU campus in Osi, pledges completion of all ongoing projects
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Kwara State Governor, on Wednesday, inaugurated the Osi Campus of the state university as part of his administration’s commitment to completing all the ongoing projects in the state.
According to a statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, the commissioning was described as a lesson in history as it is a practical step to drive inclusive growth and prosperity in every part of the state.
The statement read in part, “This is more than just a project commissioning. The completion of the Osi and Ilesha Baruba Campuses bears testament to my pledge that Kwara will not be a mortuary of abandoned projects. With this, we have again sent the signal that what matters to our administration is the progress of our state, not the political history of any project.”
“This is a lesson in history, and we hope it resonates across our state and among our people. In June 2021, I commissioned the Kwara Polytechnic main auditorium, which we funded to completion, more than 20 years after its foundation was laid by the late Governor Mohammed Lawal. This is who we are!
“Today marks the culmination of years of commitment, resilience, and a collective resolve to expand access to quality tertiary education in Kwara State.
“The journey has been marked by significant challenges, including substantial inflation. This project started under the previous administration. It was later abandoned.
“We promised never to abandon it. And what you see here bears testimony to the power of strategic planning, prudent resource management, determination, and good conscience.
“The two campuses, among other projects, will stimulate rapid economic growth and human capital development in these regions, foster a sense of belonging, and create new opportunities for our youths.
“We worked tirelessly to ensure that the infrastructure you see today is up to standards, as recently confirmed by the team from the National Universities Commission.
“From the state-of-the-art studios, lecture halls, and laboratories to the serene learning environment, this campus reflects the commitment of our administration to sustainable development, academic excellence, and social inclusion. This effort aligns with our broader agenda of making Kwara State a hub for innovation, creativity, and technical expertise.
“Today, we are proud to hand over this Campus (Osi) to the community and leadership of the Kwara State University through the Ministry of Tertiary Education.
“Osi Campus will not just be a physical structure but a beacon of hope and a testament to our hard work for future generations, our love for inclusion, economic expansion, and wellbeing of our people.
“As we celebrate this achievement, I call on the management, staff, and students of KWASU to take full advantage of this facility. Let this campus become a breeding ground for world-class professionals whose work will bring honour to Kwara State and Nigeria as a whole.
“To the host community, we thank you for your cooperation and support throughout this process. Your role in safeguarding this campus and fostering a peaceful environment cannot be overstated. I appeal to you to ensure peaceful cohabitation between the community and the institution.
“Finally, our administration remains committed to expanding the frontiers of development across all sectors. The successes we celebrate today are the sweet fruits of the collective will and hard work of Kwarans.”
At the event were senior government officials, academics, royalties, and party leaders and members, including the Speaker Kwara House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Yakubu Salihu Danladi, who was represented by Hon. Ganiyu Gabriel Abolarin; representative of the Minister of Culture and Tourism Barrister Biola Abdulkareem; Chairman Kwara House Committee on Education Hon. Baba Boriya; Commissioner for Tertiary Education Dr Mary Arinde; State APC Chairman Prince Sunday Fagbemi; Chairman Ekiti Local Government Hon. Awelewa Olawale Gabriel; KWASU Chancellor Dr. Johnson Bamidele Adewumi; Pro-Chancellor (KWASU) Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali; Vice Chancellor KWASU Sheikh Prof. Luqman Jimoh; Head of Osi Campus Prof. Binta Ajibola Suleiman; and President Osi Welfare Association Dr. Joshua Olu Joseph.
Others were the Olosi of Osi and Chairman Ekiti Traditional Council Oba Saliu Adasofegbe; the Olomu of Omu Aran Oba Abdulraheem Oladele Olaoti; and the Alofa of Ilofa Oba Samuel Niyi Dada Okinbaloye Aponbiepo II; among others.
On her part, the state Commissioner for Tertiary Institutions, Dr Arinde, said the completion of Osi and Ilesha Baruba Campuses is a bold step of the administration to bring education closer to the people, foster regional development and empower the youth with the knowledge and skills necessary for a brighter future.
Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor (KWASU), Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, congratulated the government and Osi community on completing the campus and pledged that the facility will be efficiently used.
KWASU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Sheikh Jamiu Luqman, said the new Osi campus will add immense value to the institution by fostering innovation, research, and learning in a conducive environment for excellence.
“Your (Excellency’s) commitment to education has been truly remarkable. This project and the Ilesha Baruba campus are evidence of your dedication to the advancement of higher education in our state,” he said.
“This campus hosts the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, and about seven different programmes are to be housed in this faculty. Initially, only Fine and Applied Arts was existing.
“Your Excellency, I’m happy to inform you that the NUC has approved Geography and Remote Sensing, Urban and Regional Planning, and Estate Management in this campus.
“I’m also very pleased to inform you that the students have arrived in this campus. Let me also add that we sought the approval of the NUC come next session for the following programmes, namely: Architecture and Quantity Survey.”
Oba Adasofegbe called Governor AbdulRazaq a “man of his word” and the greatest among equals for completing the school project.
“Your Excellency, you are a man of his word, amiable, compassionate, magnanimous, progressive, and considerate,” he said.
The monarch listed the asphalt overlay on Osi township road,
provision of electric transformers to different communities; provision of motor vans and bikes for vigilantes, ICT Centres for e-learning in schools; renovation of classrooms; and the construction of Osi-Obbo-Aiyegunle road as some of the projects of the present administration in Osi community.
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Back story
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led government had earlier hinted at the commencement of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, campuses situated at both Osi in Ekiti local government area and Ilesha Baruba, Baruten local government area respectively.
Students in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts under the new Faculty of Environmental Sciences are ready to begin lectures in Osi on Monday, November 18, while their counterparts from the Faculty of Agriculture are due in the Ilesha Baruba Campus in January.
The Informant247 reports that the state Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr Mary Arinde, while on a visit to the Osi campus on November 17, 2024, disclosed that the construction works in Osi have reached 98 per cent completion and are ready for use as students resume full for the 2024/2025 academic session.
As the State Government ramps up massive infrastructural development on the campuses, it was noted that the completion of the two campuses was another promise fulfilled by Governor Abdulrazaq, who had pledged never to abandon the projects during the last administration.
Dr Arinde, who was accompanied by the Head of Osi Campus, Kwara State University (KWASU), Prof. Binta A. Sulyman, and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Rafiu Ajakaye, during her visit to Osi campus, expressed satisfaction with the quality of the job by the contractor and the consultant.
According to her, “From merely looking at the campus buildings, you would see that it is a job well done. And the quality is superb. Looking at the structures, we are at the practical stage of completion. More than 98 per cent of work has been done so far.”
“We are currently putting the finishing touches. The major thing left is the fixing of the surroundings and environment, including the road network, which are all ongoing.
“We have engineers and experienced consultants on this job. They are all doing well. Before the road networks started, they had to wait for the rains to subside. They are ready to put the asphalt on the roads now. Every place will also be interlocked to look beautiful.”
She, however, commended the governor’s commitment to the projects despite the challenges involved at the beginning.
She added, “I give kudos to the Governor for doing so much. He has put in a lot of efforts and resources. In fact, the community initially lost hope that things like this could never come up again. But seeing these happening, they are overwhelmed with joy,” she said.
On her part, the Head of the Osi campus, Prof. Binta, said that lectures would commence fully at the campus on the 18th of November, 2024, for students of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts who are already on the ground with the staff.
She added that offices, studios, Conference Rooms, lecture rooms, Lecture Theaters and Auditorium of 1,500/2000 seating capacity, Car parks, shops, boreholes, electricity transformers, Solar System street lights, students’ Recreational/Common Room, CBT Computer Center, and Arts Gallery, are all available for thetale off.
Prof. Binta then commended the governor’s support, hard work, and commitment to the completion of the campus, an action she said has further endeared him to the host communities, who are all very happy and overwhelmed.
“Staff and students of Fine and Applied Arts were already on the ground. They have secured accommodations. So, by next week, we will start lectures here. By January, more departments are coming here,” she said.
“I want to say a big thank you to His Excellency, the working Governor. He has been very committed to the completion of this project. The communities here are very happy to see the project completed,” she said.
She listed the other academic programmes that will begin sessions in January include
Estate Management, Urban and Regional Development, Geography, Architecture, Quantity Survey and Building, among others.
KWASU appoints new head of Osi campus
Meanwhile, on October 24, 2024, the institution approved the appointment of Professor Binta Ajibola Sulyman as the Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Head of Osi Campus.
The Informant247 gathered that the appointment, which was conveyed in a letter dated October 21, 2024, and signed by the Registrar, Dr. Kikelomo W. Sallee, said the appointment was based on recognition of her leadership qualities and wealth of experience.
Prior to her appointment, Professor Binta Sulyman was the Head of Department of Fine and Applied Arts and Director of the Centre for Archives and Documentation.
A professor in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts with specialisation in Art Education & Visual and Creative Arts joined the service of Kwara State University in 2012 and rose to the rank of Professor in 2019.
