By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
For the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the establishment of Ojaja University was never about the profit, it was about saving a vision and securing a legacy.
During the official launch of the university’s new campus in Ile-Ife on Saturday, the monarch offered a candid insight into the difficult reality of educational investment, asserting that universities should be treated as contributions to society rather than business ventures.
The Ooni revealed that the university is the product of a strategic intervention. Six years ago, the institution, then known as Crown Hill University in Kwara State was on the brink of collapse.
Rather than allowing the institution to fold, Oba Ogunwusi absorbed the challenge, driven by a personal ambition to contribute to Nigeria’s knowledge economy.
He described the journey as a “challenging investment,” dispelling the myth that tertiary institutions are cash cows for proprietors.
This philosophy of legacy over profit was visible in the physical development of the new Ile-Ife campus. What was an empty expanse of land when the Sultan of Sokoto visited a decade ago has now been transformed into a functional academic environment boasting over 40 structures.
The Ooni views this rapid development as a necessary step in solidifying a future for the next generation.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jeleel Olasunkanmi, framed this expansion as a homecoming, noting that moving the vision to Ile-Ife aligns with the city’s centuries-old reputation as a center of philosophy and creativity.
The administration aims to build an institution that serves as a launchpad for national transformation, appealing for partnerships and endowments to democratize access to quality education.
Validating the Ooni’s efforts, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, who performed the sod-turning ceremony, linked the project to the broader responsibility of traditional institutions.
He noted that as custodians closest to the grassroots, traditional rulers bear the burden of the people’s welfare, a role that initiatives like Ojaja University help to fulfill.