By Is’haq Babatunde
Children of late Hajia Habibat Bola Ajia have instituted an endowment in her honour to be enjoyed by the best graduating students in entrepreneurship at the Kwara State University (KWASU), starting from the next institution’s convocation ceremony.
Speaking during the presentation of the sum of N550,000 cheque to the KWASU management on Wednesday (July 27, 2022) at KWASU Business School, Ilorin, the spokesperson of the family, Dr Abdulmumeen Yinka Ajia, said the gesture was in recognition of their mother’s memorable impact on their lives.
He said the prize was meant to immortalize their mother and is targeted at girl students to further encourage girl child education in the country.
“Today’s endowment is in furtherance of our belief in girl child education. We have instituted this endowment in the memory of our late mother, Hajia Habibat Bola Ajia who died 22 years ago.
“It is important we continue to prioritize girl child education because when we educate the girl child is as if we educated the whole nation, because by the virtue of their personality make up, they give more than they are given and that is why they need to be supported” he added.
He pledged that the Hajia Habibat Bola Ajia prize will be presented on yearly basis during KWASU convocation ceremony.
“The endowment will be in perpetuity, as long as Kwara State University exists, this endowment will continue to exist”, he promised.
Dr Ajia who disclosed that his late mother would have been 70 years hold this year of she was alive, also pledged the readiness of the family to construct a befitting lecture theatre in honour of their mother in no distant time.
“It is our hope and aspiration that by the next couple of years or less, we will put up a lecture theatre in the memory of our late mother, Hajia Habibat Bola Ajia, at the Kwara State University”, Ajia promised.
In his remarks, the KWASU Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammed Mustapha Akanbi SAN, appreciated the Ajia family for the choice of KWASU to endow their mother and described their decision as very apt, rewarding and worthwhile.
Professor Akanbi who also pitched his tent with Ajia family on the need to encourage girl child education, said Nigeria will be a better society to live in, if we all accord utmost priority to the welfare, education and general well being of women and girl child.
According to him, KWASU has just established a women entrepreneurship center in Ilorin where female children and house wives will be learning various vocational skills that will make them become self sufficient.
The presentation was well attended by members of Ajia family who came in their numbers to attend the ceremony.
