The Group Chairman of International Energy Services Limited, Dr Diran Fawibe, has acknowledged that God and the University of Ibadan made him into what he became in life.
He explained that he was an indigent undergraduate who would have dropped out in his first year in the university, but for the scholarship he received to complete his second and third years in the premier university.
Dr. Fawibe disclosed all these at his investiture/decoration as a UI@75 Ambassador at the headquarters of the International Energy Services Limited in Lagos State.
He said that he later obtained Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the same university.
He noted that the economic downturn in the country makes the federal government unable to meet all the needs of its universities, adding that universities surely need to seek support of their alumni and the private sector.
He commended the proactive steps of the Professor Adebowale-led management of the University of Ibadan in reaching out to the alumni to sustain the University.
Dr. Fawibe then made an instant donation of N20 million to the University, with a promise to critically examine the institution’s expectations of him as its Ambassador and do more.
He also stated that he had made provisions for the sustenance of the Dr Diran Fawibe Annual Lecture Series in perpetuity.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, had told Dr Fawibe that his administration was making efforts to sustain the legacy of the founding fathers and raise the bar.
He described Dr. Fawibe as a resilient, determined, and visionary leader deserving of his recognition as a doyen of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
Professor Adebowale noted that Dr Fawibe had consistently fostered a town-gown relationship between the academia and the industry through his many contributions to the UI Centre for Petroleum Energy, Economics and Law.
The Chairman of the UI@75 Anniversary Committee, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Professor Peter O. Olapegba, reiterated the University’s needs.
He enumerated that the University is seeking to upscale its endowment fund and upgrade its infrastructure.
He added the university intends to be able to convert research findings into innovation for national development, provide alternative energy, provide scholarships for excellent and indigent students, as well as encourage staff development and mobility.
The Registrar, Mr Ganiyu O. Saliu, decorated the UI@75 Ambassador, on behalf of the University.
