The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has commissioned a 100-bed students’ hostel donated to Sam Maris University, Supare-Akoko, Ondo State, by the Asiwaju of Supare-Akoko and former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency Alhaji Ali Olaganju Olanusi.

Named Yeye Bejide Olanusi Students’ Hostel in honour of the donor’s late wife, the facility was formally handed over to the University at a ceremony attended by government officials, traditional rulers and other dignitaries.

Speaking at the event, Fagbemi commended the University’s Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr Sam T. Ologunorisa (SAN), for establishing the institution, describing the initiative as an expression of patriotism and commitment to community development rather than a commercial venture. 

He also praised Olanusi for supporting education and choosing to immortalise his late wife through the donation.

The Honourable Minister noted that the donation reflects the growing role of private individuals and community leaders in advancing educational development, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to expanding access to education and creating opportunities for Nigerians to acquire knowledge and skills for national development.

He applauded President Bola’s Tinubu’s commitment to the development of education and disclosed that thousands of Nigerian students in public universities had benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme, introduced by the President; describing it as an important intervention in improving access to higher education. 

He pledged to draw President Bola Tinubu’s attention to Olanusi’s contribution to educational development.

The Attorney-General urged well-meaning individuals and organisations to support the University, noting that the development of educational institutions required collective effort beyond government funding. 

He commended the Ondo State Government for embarking on the construction of an access road to the institution and praised the quality of the University’s facilities and its commitment to academic standards.

He urged the Management to sustain these standards as the institution continued to expand.

Fagbemi further emphasised the need for proper maintenance of the hostel and cautioned against overcrowding, stressing that the facility should be managed to serve its intended purpose. 

He expressed hope that further investments would provide additional hostels, laboratories, and other essential infrastructure.

In the address read by his son, Niran Olanusi, on his behalf, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, who was present at the ceremony, explained that his decision to donate the hostel was inspired by his conviction that the vision, steadfast commitment and substantial investment of the University’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees in establishing and developing Sam Maris University deserved the support of every well-meaning son and daughter of Supare-Akoko.

He further noted that, as the Asiwaju of Supare-Akoko, he regarded the development of Sam Maris University, the first private university in Akokoland, as inseparable from the progress of the community. 

He described the institution as an important platform for projecting Supare-Akoko onto the global stage through education, scholarship and innovation, adding that, as a former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, supporting initiatives that promote educational and socio-economic development in the State remained a privilege.

Olanusi subsequently handed over the facility to Ologunorisa and urged the University Management to maintain it properly to ensure that students continued to benefit from the gesture.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Francis Gbore, said the new hostel would significantly ease the University’s accommodation challenges.

He noted that, before the addition of the facility, fewer than 20 per cent of the students were accommodated in the University’s on-campus hostels.

He expressed confidence that the new building on the University campus would improve students’ welfare and provide a more conducive environment for learning.

Gbore also acknowledged the contributions of other benefactors, including Prince Richard Oma Ahonaruogho (SAN), who donated two tennis courts to the University.  

He appealed to individuals, corporate organisations and philanthropists to support the University through infrastructure development, scholarships, research grants and other interventions.

The Vice-Chancellor expressed appreciation to the Ondo State Government for embarking on the access road, describing the initiative as an important contribution to the University’s continued growth and development.