Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, on Friday, 13th December 2024 led dignitaries to formally open the Centre of Excellence for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Awori House), constructed in memory of her late father, Alhaji Jimoh Kareem-Laka Orelope on the main campus of the Lagos State University in Ojo. She also handed over the facility to the United Nations Development Programme to operate as an innovation hub for young people in and around the LASU community.
Speaking at the formal opening, the donor, Princess Orelope-Adefulire, said construction of the facility was privately funded by her with support from well-meaning Nigerians to provide a befitting hub for learning, creativity and innovation, a place for young people to transform their ideas into innovations for their personal and societal good. She added that “following the inspiring launch of UNDP’s FINTECH and Tumbuktoo initiative in Lagos in July, this year, she was inspired to partner with UNDP Nigeria in the management and sustainability of the Centre.”
Resident Representative of the UNDP, Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah expressed her excitement to take custody of the state-of-the-art facility on behalf of UNDP. She said the hub, domiciled in LASU, would be a model for the other innovation hubs that would be constructed by the UNDP across the 36 states of Nigeria. She expressed her optimism that the innovation hub, named Awori House, would provide immense opportunities for young Nigerians to achieve their dreams.
Also speaking at the handover ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni, NPOM praised the donor for choosing LASU as host of the hub. She said the building is not just a physical facility but a symbol of the productive and thriving partnership between the Orelope-Laka Family and Lagos State University, adding that, “Entrepreneurship and Innovation puts power in the hands of young people to defeat obstacles placed in the way of their personal progress to achieve their full potentials. With a facility like this, the power is in their hands”.
Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hon. Tolani Sule, who was also at the event, also lauded the donor for donating the facility to LASU, noting that it would encourage students to carry out research that would lead to great innovations. He said the facility is coming at a time when Lagos State is working towards becoming the innovation hub of Africa.
The speeches followed a MoU signing ceremony by the three women – the donor, the UNDP Resident Representative, and the Vice-Chancellor.
Earlier in the event, the donor led dignitaries, which included the Oniba of Iba Kingdom, HRM Oba Sulaimon Raji Ashade; the Alakesan of Akesan Kingdom, HRM Oba Nojeemdeen Aberejo and the Elegbeda of Egbeda Kingdom, HRM Oba Hameed Omogoriola Orelope-Laka, wife of the former Vice-Chancellor of the University, Dr Yeside Fagbohun, members of the UNDP Nigeria, as well as members of the university management, deans, and other officials of the university, on a tour of the two-storey facility located beside the Faculty of Science complex.
The fully-furnished Innovation Hub comes fitted with a clean, serene, and stimulating environment that boasts of workspaces, creative studios, high-end multimedia equipment, games, kitchenettes and conveniences to stimulate innovation, creativity and productivity among users.
Recall that Her Excellency, Princess Orelope-Adefulire had, a few years ago, used her office to facilitate the construction of the state-of-the-art Medical Centre by the Federal Government of Nigeria in the LASU. She is also currently constructing a 750-seat lecture theatre for the institution.
