The Abiola Ajimobi Technical University (Tech-U), Ibadan, Oyo State, has commissioned a N1.3 billion staff office building constructed through a Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) intervention.
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 administrative 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 university officials.
The facility consists of three categories of offices: 10 professorial offices equipped with spaces for research assistants, 10 en-suite single professorial offices, and 14 offices designated for other senior lecturers.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor described the project as a major milestone in the university’s development, noting that inadequate office accommodation had remained a significant challenge since the institution’s establishment.
Ajayi explained that securing the intervention was particularly significant because TETFund had directed universities that had benefited from its interventions for more than five years to channel subsequent allocations towards maintaining existing facilities rather than constructing new ones.
According to him, Tech-U successfully obtained approval for a N1.3 billion TETFund intervention specifically for the construction of the staff office building, making the institution one of the few universities to receive such approval under the circumstances.
“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,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
Ajayi expressed optimism about the university’s future, adding that the institution would continue to pursue additional TETFund interventions to address other infrastructure needs.
He also appealed to the contractor to consider supporting the university through Corporate Social Responsibility by assisting with the connection of the new building to electricity.
The Vice-Chancellor commended APD Associates, the project consultant; Kadex Express Limited, the contractor; and the university’s maintenance team for their contributions towards the successful completion of the facility.
In his remarks, the consultant, Abdulateef Majolagbe of APD Associates, praised the university management for its cooperation and proactive approach throughout the construction process.
Similarly, Kayode Durojaiye of Kadex Express Limited appreciated the university’s management and supervision team for their support during the project.
