Nigeria’s First Lady and Ooni of Ife Unveil "Senator Oluremi Tinubu Dream Centre" at OAU

In a landmark fusion of traditional leadership and federal governance, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, inaugurated the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Dream Centre at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) on Thursday, January 29, 2026. 

The state-of-the-art facility is designed as a modern-day innovation hub and mentorship space to inspire Nigerian youth to dream audaciously and pursue purpose-driven lives. 

The Dream Centre, built by the Ooni of Ife in honour of the First Lady and digitised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), features several specialised sections intended to bridge the digital divide: 

Innovation Hub & Tech Garden: Spaces for technological development and creative brainstorming.

Digital Library & Museum: Resources for academic research and the preservation of history through storytelling.

Mentorship & Dream Rooms: Dedicated areas for guiding young students and shaping their aspirations.

Recording Studio: A facility for media production and creative expression. 

As part of the visit, the First Lady redeemed a prior pledge by handing over a massive fleet of vehicles to the university management to modernize internal transportation: 

50 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Shuttle Buses: Aimed at replacing unregulated commercial motorcycles (Okada) to enhance student safety and comfort.

40 Tricycles: Additional mobility support to connect hostels, lecture halls, and administrative blocks. 

Addressing the students, Senator Tinubu shared her personal journey from aspiring teacher to First Lady, encouraging youths—especially young girls—to use her life as a "case study" of what can be achieved through hard work and faith. 

The Ooni of Ife noted that the centre, which was once a student pavilion, has been upgraded to a higher purpose, reflecting the First Lady's two-decade legacy of service to humanity. This latest intervention follows her October 2024 donation of ₦1 billion for the horticultural restoration and beautification of the OAU campus.