Why I Decided to Build an Auditorium for Lagos State University - Tunji Bello

What we are commissioning today is not just a chamber for learning, but a testimony to faith, the prophetic power of the tongue, and what becomes possible when we dedicate ourselves to the public good. It is about envisioning what seems impossible and pushing relentlessly to make it happen.

At my 50th birthday in 2011, I committed to instituting an annual prize in five disciplines — Law, Mass Communication, Social Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The criteria were simple yet deliberate: the recipient must be academically brilliant, from a poor background, and an indigene of Lagos State. The goal was to support bright minds who risked dropping out of school due to financial hardship. By God’s grace, that scholarship programme has continued to this day.

As my 60th birthday approached in 2021, I asked myself how I could do more. A lavish celebration was out of the question. My wife, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who is now the Vice Chancellor of this great institution, suggested that I build something for LASU. At first, I gave little thought to the idea, but after reflection, I agreed — it had to be an auditorium, one that was both befitting and functional.

When the architect, Mr. Kunmi Ayinla, presented the design and budget, I was initially filled with fear and doubt. But when God gives you a vision, He provides the means. Inspiration came: instead of gifts, I asked friends and well-wishers to contribute towards the project. One dear friend who intended to surprise me with a brand new SUV graciously converted it into cash. With other donations, work began in 2021.

Challenges soon followed. Inflation and the fall of the Naira nearly crippled progress in 2023 and early 2024. Costs tripled, especially for finishing materials. To keep the project alive, I had to sell my property in Magodo Estate to ensure workers remained on site. Through it all, our faith never wavered. Today, to God be the glory, the vision has become reality.

This is not merely a building. It is a choice between transient enjoyment and lasting legacy. Instead of celebrating my 60th birthday with fleeting merriment, I chose to invest in knowledge — a birthday cake that generations of LASU students will continue to share. It is my humble way of helping bridge the infrastructural gap in public universities. Government cannot do it alone; private citizens with the means must also invest, just as is common in developed nations.

To the students who will soon occupy this auditorium: let this space inspire you. At the entrance, we engraved the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin: “Investment in education pays the best interest.” May these words motivate you to excel, to become the next Ayodele Awojobi, Wole Soyinka, Chike Obi, Isa Abubakar, Oluwasanmi, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Ojetunji Aboyade, and more. Technology has placed the library on your palms — you have no excuse not to succeed.

My inspiration comes from many sources: my late father, Alhaji Azeez Olatunji Bello, who donated land for the founding of Ansar Ud Deen College in Isolo; my late boss and mentor, Bashorun MKO Abiola, who endowed universities across Nigeria in the 1980s; and our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who donated his salaries as governor to charity and endowed LASU with one billion naira only a few years ago.

I also bring good news: courtesy of my childhood friend, Mr. Biodun Omoniyi, Managing Director of VDT Communications, free WiFi will be available in this auditorium. Furthermore, thanks to the generosity of another friend, maintenance of this facility will be managed privately for one year, after which LASU will take over with a sustainable plan in place.

This auditorium is my token of gratitude — to God Almighty for His grace, and to Lagos State for the opportunities given to me, from the scholarship I received as an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan in the 1980s, to the privilege of serving in public office. It is my way of giving back, of ensuring that posterity benefits from the blessings I have received.