By JKNewsMedia
PRESTIGE AND tradition will converge at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) as its Department of Chemical Engineering commemorates 55 years of academic and developmental impact on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
The celebration will feature the launch of a commemorative book and the formal unveiling of a five-billion-naira endowment fund to secure the department’s future.
The ceremony, scheduled for the Design Studio Auditorium at the African Centre of Excellence, Ile-Ife, will host Professor Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Senior Special Adviser to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), as keynote speaker.
He will deliver the department’s 55th keynote address on the theme “Rebuilding The Broken Walls.”
The event will also receive royal distinction with the presence of His Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife, who will serve as royal father of the day.
His attendance further highlights the department’s far-reaching influence beyond academia and into national significance.
According to a formal statement by the department, Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka’s lecture is expected to explore the future of chemical engineering in Nigeria and its relevance to sustainable development and innovation.
The session will anchor a programme designed to honour the department’s legacy while projecting its vision for the next generation.
Dignitaries, alumni, traditional rulers, and industry leaders are expected to join the gathering in celebration of the department’s achievements.
The fund launch aims to attract strategic investments that will strengthen research, facilities, and capacity building in engineering education.
Obafemi Awolowo University remains one of Nigeria’s foremost institutions of higher learning, renowned for its excellence in science, technology, and community-focused research.
The institution notes that the milestone celebration will reaffirm its commitment to educational advancement and national development.
