Augustine University Ilara, AUI, on Thursday, December 10 recorded another milestone as it graduated 38 students at its second convocation ceremony. The ceremony, held in its 3000-capacity Convocation Hall, was conducted in accordance with the prevailing Covid-19 health protocol. The solemnity, nonetheless, did not detract from the significance of the event. Despite the disruption wreaked by the novel coronavirus, the students who were admitted by the institution in 2016, graduated in record time, with five of the graduates bagging First Class Honours, and 20 others Second Honours (Upper Division), 11 students in the Second-Class Honours (Lower Division) and the remaining two, Third-Class Honours. The convocation was a testament to the university’s growth from newly-founded citadel to a full-fledged tertiary institution that now offers courses at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. In five years since its establishment, the private Catholic-owned university located in Ilara, a town in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, is on course in its mandate of Catholic tradition of providing thorough and complete education capable of molding learners intellectually and morally, as aptly reflected by the institution’s motto, “For learning and character.”
The AUI campus, built on 154-hectare land along Igbonla Road in Ilara-Epe, Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, is located in a rustic environment far away from distractions of the city life, with a natural ambience and functional facilities that made the campus learning-friendly. And in a country where there is a growing need to provide quality tertiary education for the country’s burgeoning population and productive professionals for its ever-expanding workplaces, Augustine University is poised as the right place where the much needed 21st century education and training is available.
From humble beginning: Timeline of AUI’s growth
The idea of a Catholic University was conceived in 2008 by His Eminence, Archbishop Anthony Cardinal Okogie, who until August 2012, was the archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos. On February 25, 2015, the idea became concrete when the Nigerian Universities Commission , NUC, gave its approval for the establishment of nine private tertiary institutions. Between then – 2015 – and now, 2020, AUI transformed, becoming “the little mustard seed that grew to become the big tree” to borrow the words of the registrar of the institution, Mrs. Margaret Itohan Aziba. “The university started” in a very small way,” according to the recollection of Mrs Aziba who was a pioneer staff member. “I remember back in 2014, I was traveling from Ibadan to Lagos to join the Planning and Implementation Committee, PIC, for their meetings,” she recalled. The PIC, headed by the late Prof. Benny Attah, and including the Vice-Chancellor-designate, Prof. Afolami, was at the time charged with the planning of the university. In March 2015, the trio of Prof Benny Attah, Prof Afolami and Mrs. Aziba received the provisional license from NUC in Abuja. Thereafter, the institution hit the ground running.
The Governing Council, already constituted, took over from the PIC. In the background the Board of Trustees (BoT), also appointed by the proprietor, got busy, setting off a series of meetings and other activities in readiness for the take-off of the university. The Vice Chancellor was assisted by four ad hoc staff, to map out academic activities with regard to academic calendar, courses and curriculum. The skeletal staff also conducted interviews for staff recruitment and in October the public became aware of Augustine University via advertisements in exercise in Guardian and Punch. Members of the public also further information was also available to the public via its functional website that was already up and running. Its official inauguration on October 23, 2015 was a landmark occasion that attracted the presence of important dignitaries in the Church and society, including the then Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode. That effectively kicks-started academic activities, with 83 students offered admission, of which 54 of them eventually resumed on the campus. Of the 54 students, 32 eventually graduated in 2019 at the institution’s maiden convocation.
Founded upon a vision
A welcome statement on the University’s website reads: “The University upholds the noble tradition of Catholic Higher Education of achieving intellectual, cultural and moral excellence by preparing students for leadership and enterprise.” The import of the expression, ‘noble tradition of Catholic Higher Education’ was explained by the Present Vice-Chancellor, Prof Christopher Odetunde, who himself is a product of Catholic education having attended St. Andrew Catholic Primary School, Oro and St. John’s College, (now Rimi College) Kaduna. According to him: “Noble tradition of Catholic Higher Education’ implies a tradition that provides a holistic education of intellectual development, cultural imperative and spiritual or moral preparedness in the world students may find themselves.” His explanation underscored the objectives of the visioner of the Augustine University, Archbishop Anthony Cardinal Okogie; in turn the vision of Augustine University”to be the leading global provider of career-oriented educational services”and its mission to “foster student learning through high quality, career-oriented education, integrating personal development, technology, business and management,” embodied the creeds of Catholic education.
Chairman Board of Trustees, Sir Steve Omojafor underscores the primary objective of setting up a Catholic university, as a citadel of learning where students are formed both in terms of education and character. He expatiate further why the idea was overdue: “We were faced with the challenges of Catholic children going to other faith-based universities, and by the time they spend a session there and return home, they don’t even know how to recite Hail Mary or Our Father anymore; they were converting to Pentecostals, and either they were no longer interested in the Catholic religion or they were forced to go Pentecostal. Hence, they do not attend church anymore, and the Catholic religion becomes non-issue as far as they are concerned. So, primarily, the idea was to put our Catholic young ones into a university where we teach morals and education and form or reform characters.” By his admission, “we were never under any illusion that it was going to be that easy or simple running a fullfledged conventional university.”
The various team’s at the outset expected difficulties.
“We expected the challenges, so did the founding fathers, primarily Cardinal Anthony Cardinal Okogie, whose initial dream was passed to us to implement,” he mused. How tough the journey was, Sir Omojafor provided an insight that is instructive: “We didn’t have any money stacked away anywhere. We didn’t have any moneybag getting involved, no politicians got involved. There was no easy or free money from anywhere. We had to do internal generation of funds. We had to depend on our parishes to be part and parcel of the journey in terms of helping us to make funds available and provide all the basic infrastructure that are necessary to set up a university that needs the approval of the National Universities Commission.” Continuing his recount, he narrated: “So the journey started gradually, between 10 and 12 years ago, when the idea was first conceptualized. First, we went on to get the patch of land, the big land mass that we needed to set up the university, a land big enough not only to set up the structures, but to leave a lot of room for children to learn.
We set up the Fund Raising Committee under the chairmanship of Chief (Sir) Molade Okoya-Thomas and we started visiting parishes. I remember most Sundays I had to address four Masses, one after the other, to introduce the university, to let them know why we were setting up the university, to let them know we needed funds, to let them know we needed all kinds of assistance from parishes and our parishioners. This we did in about 15 parishes, one Sunday after the other. With that, we raised enough money to get started.” Two parishes, Church of Assumption and Divine Mercy Catholic Church, Lekki Phase I further helped the cause with donation of a hostel building each estimated at a cost of N450 million. “As at today, we must have spent about N10 billion on that university and not a kobo was borrowed,” Sir Omojafor affirmed. He acknowledged that challenges still exist. The major one according to him: “We don’t have enough students to be able to generate enough revenue to pay all the expenses of the university. Therefore, we still depend on the Lagos Archdiocese for subventions every session. And today, there is no more money even in the Church because we have lost a lot of Masses, parishioners and collections.” While acknowledging that the challenge still persists, Sir Omojafor, nonetheless expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far. “In the past two years, we have graduated almost seventy students, with a good number of First-class, Second Class Upper and Second Class Lower divisions. We are delighted that a lot of them are gainfully employment because of the good education we gave them and because we have worked hard to inculcate good morals in them.”
Programmes and infrastructure
At present, Augustine University has two faculties, Faculty of Science (FACUS) and Faculty of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences (FAHUMSS), approved by NUC at inception. Its provisional license had come with nine departments and 12 programmes. The number of courses available for study increased to 13 in 2018 when Biochemistry was approved. AUI building structures at inception included an administrative block and the two faculty buildings, as well as the extension that housed the temporary library and offices of academic staff. Other buildings were Assumption Hall and Divine Mercy Hall, respectively female and male hostels, a Multipurpose Centre where canteen, shops and restaurants were located, and a health center, all of which were adequately furnished and equipped. A case in point was the health center, which impressed the NUC’s seven-man Special Committee on Private Universities that visited for final verification before granting the license.
The health Centre, a six-room building, though small was so wellequipped as to earn the university the highest mark. It was one of the memorable moments for the Registrar. “We all went round with the team; every room they entered, even though small, everything was in place, even up to cotton wool, the weighing scale, thermometers… everything that a patient would need in the hospital. The toilets were sparkling clean, and everything was just in place. The little pharmacy there, the records room there, and in fact, they were amazed. “We got 90 something percent, that was the highest,” Aziba reminisced. In the past five years, the University did not rest on its oars. As the student population increases, it keeps its foot on the pedal to keep up with the pace. For instance, in 2018, when the increase in student population made it obvious that the cafeteria had become too small, the Cardinal, the visioner and the initiator of the university, had funded the expansion of the main restaurant. In the same manner, a temporary chapel was further expanded to accommodate 300 people. Similarly, the intervention of the Cardinal also culminated in the construction of a second building that translated into a much bigger health center that included a diagnostic laboratory and other departments needed for a proper clinic. The institution provided structure as the need arose, such as the commissioning and construction of a Convocation Hall that was completed in time for its maiden convocation in 2019. The building of the hall ended the culture of holding matriculation under a marque. Today, the Convocation Hall popularly referred to as the “building with the blue roof,” is a befitting and functional addition to the campus’s buildings. The chapel, a donation from a member of the Governing Council, is at present under construction. Residential accommodation for the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar, two iconic edifices, built by the Archdiocese were constructed in 2018 in a part of the campus popularly referred to as The Valley of Life. After the construction, however, the Cardinal felt they were too isolated and subsequently proposed the idea of populating that sector of the campus with blocks of flats for staff accommodation. Today, two blocks of 12 flats, which translate to 24 apartments, stands in that portion of the campus.
Existing Facilities
The university’s serene environment never fails to impress visitors to the campus. Other factors that make AUI attractive to prospective students include affordable quality education ( as delivered by top-notch faculties) and stable academic calendar. Since its maiden matriculation on April 1, 2016, AUI has been running uninterrupted academic calendar, culminating in the second convocation of December 10, 2020. Generally, the campus is also not lacking in facilities for academic and extracurricular activities. Aside from a standard football field and lawn tennis court, the campus also boasts an Olympic-size basketball pitch. Other facilities are:
• Well-equipped ICT, science and medical laboratories.
• Steady power
• Water supply
• Uninterrupted internet accessibility.
• Libraries. The AUI Library boasts of a large collection of books spanning 5,723 titles in over 15,000 volumes of processed materials; with about 10,000 volumes undergoing processing. It also has a robust virtual library with access to over 30 databases locally and internationally. Students have at their disposal 10, 000 novels for leisure reading. The library also gives students access to online lectures, webinars and other digital activities which made it a veritable cocoon for intellectual development. THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, Professor Christopher Odetunde assumed the role of the Vice-Chancellor of Augustine University on Monday 5 October, 2020 is a Professor of Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering. He was the former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Kwara State University, Malete.
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering, a Master of Science in Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering and in Project Management as well and a Doctoral degree in Aerospace Engineering THE REGISTRAR, Mrs. Margaret Itohan Aziba had worked in the University of Ibadan for 28 years before her appointment at AUI. She holds B.A. in English Language and M. Ed in Educational Management, both from the University of Ibadan, where she started her career as administrative officer and served in different capacities for 28 years during which she rose to the institution’s Deputy Registrar, a position she held for five years before her appointment as registrar designate in AUI in 2013. In that capacity, she worked with the Planning and Implementation Committee until they obtained license in 2015. She has attended several conferences and workshops on capacity building both within and outside Nigeria. She is an adept administrator and a member of the Association of Nigerian University Professional Administrators (ANUPA), Associate member of Association of University Administrators (AUA), United Kingdom and Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, United Kingdom. Her wealth of experience garnered at Ibadan has been of tremendous influence in establishing a solid foundation for the Registry in AUI. For over 15 years she has been involved in organizing club activities for young girls on their moral, spiritual social and educational development.
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Chief Gilbert T. Grant
A petroleum engineer who held notable positions in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for several years. Also a shareholder representative for the NNPC subsidiary companies, he is a founding member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of the American Institute. A recipient of numerous awards, he is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigeria chapter.
Dame Marie Fatayi-Williams
She had worked in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, Corporate PR and Administration. She is the Chair, Anthony Fatayi-Williams (AFW) for Peace & Youth Development, an author who has served and is still serving in several capacities both locally and internationally.
Dr. Victoria Pillah
Currently a Chief Academic Standards Officer at the National Universities Commission, she has Ph.D in Animal Nutrition and is a member of professional bodies locally and internationally.
Dame Winnie Akpani
A chartered accountant, she is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Petroleum and Gas Company Ltd. A recipient of several awards among which is the prestigious and most coveted PAPAL Award of Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice (Latin: For Church and Pope) by the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2009. She is also an investor in the banking sector, travels and hospitality industry, among other interests that include real estate, shipping, lubricant and LPG marketing and the midstream and upstream sectors of the oil and gas industries.
Dame Beatrice Akanji
Holds a Ph.D in Finance among several post graduate qualifications, retired from CBN as Director, Trade and Exchange Dept. (2007), served on several committees, a member of several learned bodies. An Independent Director to Sterling bank and Interswitch (from 2014 till date) and Nigeria Spinners Company (2012 till date) and has several papers written and published to her credit.
Mr. Peter Nwanze
Currently the Principal Consultant at Hudley Consulting Ltd, he is a chartered accountant who has worked in several capacities in the maritime sector and in banking institutions among others.
Mr. Toyin Pinheiro (SAN)
Toyin Pinheiro, a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria is the Principal Partner at C.O Toyin Pinheiro & Co. A distinguished legal practitioner with vast expertise in Foreign Direct Investments, Capital Market Investments, Property & Commercial, he is also a member of the Nigeria-Asian Chamber of Commerce, Nigerian Bar Association and International Bar Association.
Professor U. M. O. Ivowi
A renowned Professor of Physics and currently the Executive Director of Foremost Educational Services Ltd, Lagos, he is a recipient of several distinctions and awards and has served in varying capacities; his research and teaching experience spanned 30 years. He is a member of several learned bodies and has several publications to his credit.
Rev. Msgr. Paschal Nwaezeapu
Msgr. Paschal Nwaezeapu is the Dean of Lekki Deanery, Archdiocese of Lagos and Parish Priest of Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, Lekki Phase 1. He holds a Ph.D in Bioethics from Universita Apostolorum in Rome.He is credited with several scholarly publications. Rev. Msgr. Jerome Oduntan Msgr. Jerome Oduntan is the Director of Education of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos. He has headed several educational institutions for many
PRINCIPAL OFFICERS
Augustine University is proud to showcase the elite crop of management staff as well as other staff that have steadily steered the affairs of the institution since 2015 still date. At the helm of affairs are the Principal Officers who are distinguished professionals in their fields.
THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, Professor Christopher Odetunde assumed the role of the Vice-Chancellor of Augustine University on Monday 5 October, 2020 is a Professor of Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering. He was the former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Kwara State University, Malete. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering, a Master of Science in Aeronautical/ Mechanical Engineering and in Project Management as well and a Doctoral degree in Aerospace Engineering
THE REGISTRAR, Mrs. Margaret Itohan Aziba had worked in the University of Ibadan for 28 years before her appointment at AUI. She holds B.A. in English Language and M. Ed in Educational Management, both from the University of Ibadan, where she started her career as administrative officer and served in different capacities for 28 years during which she rose to the institution’s Deputy Registrar, a position she held for five years before her appointment as registrar designate in AUI in 2013. In that capacity, she worked with the Planning and Implementation Committee until they obtained license in 2015. She has attended several conferences and workshops on capacity building both within and outside Nigeria. She is an adept administrator and a member of the Association of Nigerian University Professional Administrators (ANUPA), Associate member of Association of University Administrators (AUA), United Kingdom and Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, United Kingdom.
Her wealth of experience garnered at Ibadan has been of tremendous influence in establishing a solid foundation for the Registry in AUI. For over 15 years she has been involved in organizing club activities for young girls on their moral, spiritual social and educational development. This she has also brought to bear in the aspect of character formation of students of AUI. She has succeeded in relating with the students not only as Registrar but a mother, counsellor and mentor. On completion of her 5-year tenure as Registrar July 31, 2020, the Governing Council judged her performance satisfactory and recommended to the Proprietor for renewal of appointment for another tenure of 5 years which took effect from August 1, 2020.
THE BURSAR, Mr. Sunday Alabi, is a seasoned professional Chartered Accountant with over two decades of experience in the financial system. He is well grounded in both private and public sector accounting. He cut his teeth in the private sector, before moving to academia, starting with Federal Polytechnic, Ede, where he worked for seven years. He then moved on to Federal University of Technology, Akure, He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, from the University of Ado-Ekiti, Member, Educational Committee, Institute Of Chartered Accountant Of Nigeria. Alabi was the founding Chairman, Federal University of Technology, Akure’s Divine God’s Favour Cooperative Multipurpose Society Limited. He is at present the founding Chairman of Augustine University Cooperative Multipurpose Society Limited.
THE LIBRARIAN Prince Oshilalu Habdulhakeem Adeyinka holds a Bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Ibadan. He was previously assistant librarian at Bells University of Technology and pioneer head of the Information Resource Centre at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library. A certified librarian (conferred by the Librarian Registration Council of Nigeria), he is renowned for his expertise at setting-up and management of libraries of which he has successfully set up five libraries. At the faculties, AUI also has an ensemble of elite scholars and intellectual resource persons that has been making far-reaching contributions to the growth and development of the institutions.
The list include: Professor Joseph I. Omoregbe, Dean of Humanities Management & Social Sciences, has three doctorates in Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theology respectively. Author of over 20 publications in Philosophy, Religious Studies and Theology, he has supervised 13 PhD candidates in University of Lagos, most of whom are now Professors, Associate Professors and Senior Lecturers. He has served as external examiner to all the Universities with Departments of Philosophy in the Southern part of the country. Prof Omoregbe who had lectured in University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Lagos, University of Swaziland (Southern Africa), National University of Lesotho (Southern Africa), is AUI’s pioneer Director of Academic Planning Unit. A member of the Senate, he is on several Senate Committees.
Dr. Grace Ofure Evbuomwan, acting head, Department of Economics, is a Development Economist. She studied Agricultural Economics at the University of Ibadan and has been exposed to several Professional and Management courses both locally and internationally including at the Harvard Institute of International Development, Boston, USA, The International Law Institute, Washington DC, and The West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, Nigeria. Evbuomwan who has masters in Banking and Finance was a Director at the Central Bank of Nigeria and has authored over 80 publications.
She is widely travelled and belongs to several Professional Associations. She is a Fellow of the Farm Management Association of Nigeria (FFAMAN), and currently represents West and Central Africa on the Council of the International Farm Management Association (IFMA).
Dr. James Eziechine Onyeashie, Head, Department of English, has a B.A. (Hons) English, M.A. English, PGDE, PhD English. A member of several Senate committees of the university, he is also a resource person for National Open University, Navy Yard, Apapa, Lagos. He is a Member, Society for the Study of Men and Masculinities in Africa (SSOMMIA). He is widely published and his research focus is Masculinities in Gender Studies.
