The Abiola Ajimobi Technical University (Tech-U), Ibadan, Oyo State, has taken delivery of a N1.3 billion staff office building constructed through an intervention from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
The newly completed facility is expected to ease the university’s long-standing shortage of office accommodation for academic staff and provide a more conducive environment for teaching, research and other scholarly activities.
The building was formally handed over to the university on Saturday at a ceremony attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adesola Ajayi; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Caleb Aborisade; Registrar, Mrs. Omolola Olanrewaju; and other members of the university community.
The facility comprises 34 offices spread across three categories.
These include 10 professorial offices with dedicated spaces for research assistants, 10 ensuite single professorial offices and 14 offices designated for other senior lecturers.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Ajayi described the completion of the project as a major milestone in the development of the university, particularly against the backdrop of the institution’s office accommodation challenges since its establishment.
According to him, the university had identified adequate office space for academic staff as one of its most urgent infrastructural requirements.
He said the significance of the project was further underscored by the fact that TETFund had previously directed institutions that had benefited from its interventions for more than five years to channel subsequent allocations towards the maintenance of existing infrastructure rather than the construction of new facilities.
Ajayi said Tech-U was nevertheless able to secure approval to use a N1.3 billion TETFund intervention for the construction of the staff office complex.
“Tech-U was able to secure the approval of a N1.3 billion Tertiary Education Trust Fund intervention to deploy its intervention for the construction of the staff office building, making it one of the few institutions in that category to receive such approval.”
The Vice-Chancellor said the intervention would address a critical need within the university, noting that some of the spaces previously converted to staff offices were not originally designed for such purposes.
“The university has identified staff office accommodation as one of its most pressing needs. Several spaces previously being used as offices were not originally designed for that purpose,”
He expressed optimism that the new facility would contribute to improving the working environment for academic staff and support the university’s broader development objectives.
Looking ahead, Ajayi said the institution would continue to pursue opportunities for additional infrastructure development through TETFund and other sources.
“The university would seek to secure further TETFund interventions to address additional infrastructure needs.”
The Vice-Chancellor also appealed to the contractor handling the project to support the university under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by assisting with the connection of the new building to electricity.
Ajayi commended the various individuals and organisations that contributed to the successful completion of the project.
He specifically appreciated the consultant, APD Associates; the contractor, Kadex Express Limited; and the university’s maintenance team for their roles in ensuring that the project was completed.
In his remarks, the consultant, Abdulateef Majolagbe of APD Associates, commended the university management for its cooperation throughout the construction process.
Majolagbe said the institution’s proactive approach and collaboration helped facilitate the successful execution of the project.
Similarly, the contractor, Kayode Durojaiye of Kadex Express Limited, appreciated the university’s management and supervision team for their support during the construction.
The project represents a significant addition to Tech-U’s physical infrastructure as the institution continues to expand its academic programmes and institutional capacity.
With the provision of dedicated offices for professors and senior lecturers, as well as spaces for research assistants, the facility is expected to strengthen the university’s academic environment and provide improved working conditions for its teaching staff.