The Department of Civil Engineering recently received a donation of over 1.5 million Naira to establish a food bank for its students. The project, which is the brainchild of an alumnus from the graduating set of 2012/2013 Session was launched as a way of insulating students’ performances during the ongoing examinations from the current harsh economic realities in Nigeria today. According to Engr. Biodun Otunola (the MD of Planet Projects) who donated a million Naira to the food bank, any contribution, no matter the size will not only provide immediate relief to those in need bust also create a supportive and nurturing environment for the students. Other alumni (e.g. Engr. Joy Okoror Olurin) have also continued to support this laudable initiative.

The Departmental committee (Dr. A. A. Akindahunsi, Mr. A. M. Olajumoke and Mrs. O. F. Rotimi) has since organized the procurement and disbursement of the food items. Over 100 students have benefited from this initiative since Wednesday 28th February when the disbursement began. The President of the Association of Civil Engineering Students (ACES) has expressed the profound appreciation of the students to the alumni who have given back in this remarkable way considering the present hardship in the country. He further said the alumni have continuously tried to make their (the students) stay easy in the Department as the alumni have continuously make donations to the Department in various ways. He prayed that God will increase all the donors in all their endeavors, amen.

It will be recalled that some graduating sets and individual alumni have shown interest in the development of the Department by making donations for diverse needs of the Department. The list of alumni donations as at December 6th 2023 was collated and widely circulated by the University administration. After this collated list, the graduating set of 1982 have donated a sum of 12.5 million naira to address the equipment need in the Transportation and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, the 1997/1998 set also donated close to 1 million naira for the purchase of hard copy books for the department. Individuals such as Engrs. Ajibola Alamutu, Olukayode Awe and Oluseyi Adeyemo have also contributed to meet one need or the other in the Department.

The initiator of this food bank has expressed a hope that this kind of initiative would ginger other alumni groups to rally round to support.