The Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, says the desire to bequeath high quality university education to Nigerian children, running without interruption, led him to establish Igbinedion University, Okada in 1999.
He sated this in Okada, Edo State recently in his remark at the birthday lecture organised by the university to mark his 90th birthday.
The Benin high chief, who was represented by his son and former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, stated that the desire aligned with the need at the time.
According to him, uninterrupted university education was more desirable to accelerate the production of high level manpower required to galvanise the socio-political and economic development of a country.
Igbinedion, who is also the Chancellor of Nigeria’s premier private university, noted, however, that the occasion was not just a personal milestone but a testament to the collective efforts and achievements of the entire university community.
“This also aligns with the need at the time. Since inception, the university has continued to record remarkable successes in the areas of teaching and research, capacity building and innovation.
“The University has produced high quality graduates in different fields of human endeavours who are contributing their quota to national and global development”, he said.
Delivering the lecture, Dr. Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), described Igbinedion, who is the Esama of Benin, as a great man of limitless and unfathomable girth.
The lecture was titled “Synoptic Narrative of a Legendary Entrepreneur”.
According to the guest lecturer, Chief Igbinedion’s trailblasing travels of his life do not bear any cares for the undaunting, but indeed the daunting paths.
“He is totally unafraid of any difficulties and does not succumb to them if they stand in the way of his objectives.
“For bravery and fearlessness, the Esama is overdosed where ordinary men would want to tread cautiously.
“To recount the story of the Esama, one must realise that indeed he grew and became one of the mightiest trees in the forest that once sprouted as a small shoot,” Uwensuyi-Edosomwan said.
Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Vice Chancellor of the university, described the proprietor as a beacon of wisdom and a pillar of strength for the pursuit of academic excellence and societal progress in Nigeria.
Ezemonye noted that the lecture was not just a celebration of a milestone in years and commemoration of a legacy of Chief Igbinedion’s vision, but also marked the university’s 25 years of phenomenal existence.
“The significance of this year’s birthday lecture lies in the fact that it is happening at the same time that the university is celebrating its 25 years of phenomenal existence.
“Therefore, today’s lecture is not just a celebration of a milestone in years, but a commemoration of a legacy of leadership, vision, and dedication that has profoundly shaped our great university in the last 25 years.
“Our esteemed Honourable Chancellor has been more than a Chancellor to us, and has been a beacon of wisdom, a pillar of strength, and a guiding light in our shared pursuit of academic excellence and societal progress”, he said.