Soun of Ogbomoso, LUTH CMD Urge Alumni to Champion Varsity Development

The Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, has called on alumni associations across Nigeria to take active roles in supporting their alma maters, describing such gestures as crucial to the growth and sustainability of tertiary institutions.

The monarch made the appeal during the 50th anniversary celebration, fundraising, and award ceremony of the University of Ibadan Dental School, where he emphasized that coordinated alumni efforts can significantly address infrastructural decay and improve the quality of education in Nigerian universities.

“I enjoin all alumni, both at home and in the diaspora, to be more committed to the development of their alma mater as a way of giving back. Most of the old students are doing well across the world; there is a need to coordinate them,” Oba Olaoye said. “Your contributions, no matter how small or big, will make a meaningful impact. It is only through strong and united alumni networks that we can sustain meaningful growth and build lasting legacies for future generations.”

The monarch commended the University of Ibadan Dental School Alumni Association for their dedication, noting that their continued involvement would help preserve the institution’s reputation as a leading centre of excellence in dental education.

Delivering the anniversary lecture titled “Celebrating the Roots of the Past and the Crowns of the Future,” the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, also highlighted the critical role of alumni in sustaining academic and infrastructural standards. He expressed concern over the shortage of clinical tools and modern facilities for dental training, which, he noted, has contributed to the exodus of professionals abroad.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, lauded the faculty’s dedication and expressed optimism that the next 50 years would usher in greater achievements for the Dental School.