Abolaji Adebayo
In a significant boost to academic-industry collaboration, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) on Tuesday commissioned and handed over a state-of-the-art “CIBN Bankers Hall” to the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH).
The newly built facility will serve as the dedicated home for the university’s Department of Banking and Finance.
The commissioning ceremony, held on the university campus in Ikorodu, was attended by a gathering of high-profile dignitaries from government, academia, and the financial sector, marking a milestone in corporate social responsibility and educational development.
In his keynote address, the Vice-Chancellor of LASUSTECH, Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya, hailed the project as a celebration of shared purpose.
“Today is a day of celebration, a day of partnership, and a day of legacy. We are gathered here to commission a building that represents more than bricks and mortar, it represents vision, commitment, and shared values,” he stated.
Professor Odusanya also announced a major academic breakthrough stemming from the partnership: a CIBN-approved linkage programme for LASUSTECH students.
“Our students of Banking and Finance can now begin their professional training to become certified bankers and full members of the Institute,” he revealed., adding: “Even more exciting is that this linkage programme extends pathways to students in Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, and Marketing, giving them the opportunity to pursue professional banking qualifications. This demonstrates the full benefit of the bouquet of this relationship.”
The President of CIBN, Professor Pius Deji Olanrewaju, reflected on the swift progress from the project’s inception to its completion.
He stated: “Just a few months ago, we came for the turning of the sod, and today we return to commission the edifice. This hall will help key generations of students to learn and thrive.”
He emphasised that the project is part of the Institute’s broader national legacy agenda.
“This is the 13th of such legacy projects by the Institute, spanning all six geopolitical zones of the country. It’s our way of giving back, of building the future through education,” Professor Olanrewaju added, underscoring CIBN’s commitment to equitable access to quality learning environments.
Representing the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a Fellow of the CIBN, the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hon. Tolani Sule Akibu, commended the Institute’s initiative.
He described the donation as a critical investment in the future while reaffirming the state government’s support for such partnerships.
“This kind of collaboration is what we envision for the future of education in Lagos State. It reflects our shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and opportunity,” Akibu said.
He urged the university to leverage the new facility to become a national reference point for academic relevance and excellence, concluding, “Let us continue to build and invest in the lives that will shape tomorrow.”
Earlier in the proceedings, Professor Olumuyiwa Olamade, Dean of the College of Applied Social Sciences, set the tone by expressing the university’s profound gratitude.
He described the Bankers Hall as a “lasting symbol in the history of education” and a transformative contribution to the academic landscape of LASUSTECH.
The event, which featured goodwill messages from past CIBN presidents and other stakeholders, concluded with a tour of the new facility.
The CIBN Bankers Hall now stands as a beacon of progress and a tangible testament to the power of strategic partnership in shaping the future of education and professional development in Nigeria.
