Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has pledged to begin the process of making the Iseyin Campus of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) an autonomous university.
Makinde gave the assurance while responding to a request from stakeholders at the commissioning of the Alhaji Kazeem Owonikoko Building at L.A. Primary School, Oke-Esa, Iseyin.
The governor said his administration would submit the necessary application to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and conduct a sustainability study to determine the institution’s long-term viability.
The request was made by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ahmed Raji, who donated the newly constructed school building and urged the government to upgrade the LAUTECH campus into an independent university.
Raji said the proposed university could focus on agriculture, renewable energy and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), strengthening access to higher education and supporting development in the Oke Ogun area.
He also explained that his donation to L.A. Primary School was motivated by the need to improve the learning environment for pupils, while the building was named to honour one of Iseyin’s illustrious sons, Alhaji Omosalewa Owonikoko.
The school facility was equipped with classrooms, offices, solar power, desks, chairs and modern learning gadgets.
Community leaders and education stakeholders at the event commended Raji for the donation and Makinde for his administration’s commitment to education, expressing hope that the facility would support the development of future generations.