Folorunso Alakija: Here comes Nigeria’s first matriarchal chancellor

It’s Wednesday, 9th March 2016 and the Osun State University, now Bola Ige University, was a bee-hive of activities. Students, the academic community, royal fathers, politicians and dignitaries from all walks of life thronged the sprawling compound for the 4th and 5th convocation ceremonies for the award of first degrees, honorary degree presentation, as well as the investiture of Folorunso Alakija as Chancellor of the university.

At exactly 10.02 am, the procession of graduating students began and the different faculty officers took turns to coordinate the graduants from the different departments. You could feel the excitement of graduation in the air and the auditorium was filled to the brim. By 11.20 am, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Oguntola Jelili Alamu, led the procession that signalled the beginning of the event. Members of the university senate, members of the governing council, the visitor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, and guests from other universities took their seat in the gallery.

 This was followed by a welcome address by Professor Obafemi Adetola. At this point, the acting vice chancellor stepped out on the podium, doffed his cap to the incoming chancellor and informed that she was also going to be conferred with a doctorate degree. “By the authority vested in me as the acting vice chancellor and in accordance with the provisions of the university statues, I confer on you an honorary degree of Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa, with the rights and privileges therewith.”

The visitor to the university, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, then asked Alakija to pledge total allegiance throughout her tenure to uphold the university’s laws, leadership and privileges completely and perform all the functions of the chancellor.

“I promise to perform my duties faithfully and diligently as the chancellor of Osun State University,” she replied.

Aregbesola went on to talk about the reason why women must be celebrated. “Let me recognise the icons that are here. I will start with my predecessor in office, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and my deputy, Iya Aafin Titi Laoye Tomori, who went to represent me somewhere.  Yesterday was an important day for women and I would come to that shortly.

“It is my joy to be the first visitor in Africa sub of the Sahara to install a woman as chancellor of a university. Today is significant because it is going to be the last day that we are going to refer to it as Osun State University. The title of my speech is New thinking of University Administration. Yesterday was great, today will be better.”

The change of guards in any institution, Gov Aregbesola said is a constant reminder of the transient nature of time. “We appreciate her for choosing to serve as a chancellor of our university, when she could easily have turned it down because of many other requests. She is a role model in the true sense of that phrase, she is the ideal woman. Well educated, intelligent, hard working, successful in her business, religiously devoted and happily married, a good mother and a lover of mankind. As a designer, she took the profession to unprecedented heights, also a top ranger in the oil business.”

He reiterated the fact that Alakija is not just the first woman to be a top player in the oil business but one of the best players, as executive chairman of Famfa Oil. “Not just a speculator. Some two years ago, MTN partnered with her foundation to build a chest clinic, brought state-of-the-art equipment to us. That was when I heard of her in real terms and I told myself that something would make me recognise this lady. That was last year, and I didn’t know that the Ooni would pass on and when the passage of that eminent royalty happened and we had to reflect on who was qualified, without a doubt, her name just featured.”

A trumpet heralded a new dawn, screams, shouts of joy, applauses rented the air as she put on the academic robe transiting from Mrs. Alakija to Dr Alakija. Just before sitting down, she planted a kiss on the lips of her husband, Modupe Alakija, who was all smiles.

From that point, the chancellor who has a five-year tenure was invited to preside over the assembly and address the convocation. She began with a story of what she captured as her Cinderella years, doing a flashback to life as a 7-year-old girl who was taken to a snowy country with little or no direction but struggled to the top against the odds. “Many doors were shut in my face but I kept going back and it paid off. It is important to be determined, there is always a way. Time is money, use it wisely. Say no to corruption, find mentoring, exercise patience and have courage.”

While admonishing Nigerian women to improve on their education, she asked the audience to join her as she sang “Bata mi a dun ko ko ka” (meaning my shoes would sound smart like an educated person).

“My watchword is,” she said is “Let the sky be your stepping stone.” She added these two additions to her crowded caps mean a lot. Her words: “I have had four other honorary doctorate awards, not that this one is less important. But it is the first from a public university in the whole of Nigeria and I think I heard the governor say south of the Sahara. But to God be the glory, elevation does not come from man, it comes from God. God ministers to people and gets them to act on issues and His desire. I guess I am walking in God’s purpose and it is not something that I orchestrated. I believe it is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in my sight.”

The event which came a day after the International Women’s Day also made it memorable for the Amazon. “I am very happy to be a woman, especially at this time. I won’t say the next day because the convocation ceremony actually started yesterday and it’s culminated in today’s event and it’s an honour really. And I didn’t see any reason not to accept when I got my husband’s approval.”

The award which is in line with her prowess for entrepreneurship, Alakija said would make her do more and she used the opportunity to advise young entrepreneurs to be hardworking, dedicated and diligent. “I love entrepreneurship. I love buying and trading. My advice for young people is to make sure that money goes a long way, investing it and getting value for your money, making sure that both parties are happy. That is what trade is about. You get what you want, I get what I want and the world goes round. Everybody is happy and we continue to improve and impact on the world completely, as we grow industries, as we grow our businesses, impact on our world by expanding its scope. When you can make a thousand, ten thousand, even as the Bible says, you know what the multiplication effect is, fruitfulness and multiplication.”

Peter Oluwatobiloba Daniel, the best graduating student with a G.PA of 4.81, gave a valedictory speech tagged Never stop trying. In it, he talked about his inspiration to excel, urging others to try and try again instead of giving up in the face of challenges.

You also find other students seated under the canopy outside while a handful could be seen milling around a big banner placed at the entrance of the auditorium by the Osun State Chapter of Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs Student Association (AYESA) welcoming the New Chancellor who also doubles as their chief executive matron.

For Anuoluwapo Olasukanmi, a graduant of the Industrial Chemistry Department, “It’s a great idea that a woman is coming in as chancellor of the university. I believe that she would be able to do more and see things that the men won’t see. A lot of us are excited and I came all the way from Zamfara where I am currently on Youth Service.”

Like Olasukanmi, Bukola Arigbede, a graduate of Mathematics, talked about her expectations of the new chancellor. “I have read a lot about her and she is my role model. I am serving in Abeokuta and I would say that I came for the event because of the great admiration that I have for her.”

The Osun State University was licensed by the National Universities Commission on 21sth December, 2006 as the 30th state university and the 80th university in Nigeria.

The vision is: ‘To be a centre of excellence, providing  high quality teaching and learning experiences, which will engender the production of entrepreneurial graduates capable of impacting positively on their environment while being globally competitive.’