Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you. —Shannon Adler
The Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ikeja Branch, the family of late Engr Anthony Oludaiye and management of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba has launched an Endowment Fund in honour and memory of late Engr Akinsanya Anthony Oludaiye, FNSE. The third chairman of NSE Ikeja Branch and the first Chairman of NSE kano Branch and last week at Yaba College of Technology.
The Endowment Fund which will be awarded to the Best Gradating students from Electrical Engineering Department annually is a collaboration between the family of late Engr. Oludaiye, an alumni of the College, Yaba College of technology and the Nigerian Society of Engineers Ikeja Branch to honour the legacy of one of the founding fathers of the branch.
In attendance at the brief ceremony held at Yaba College of Technology were the representatives of the Family in persons of Engr Mrs. Abiola Kosegbe, General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA) who has served as Vice Chairman of NSE ikeja branch and is currently the Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers, Lagos chapter, her sister, Mrs. Funmilayo Oludaiye. Others at the event are the Vice Chairman, NSE Ikeja Branch Engr Sunday Oguntunde.
Speaking at the Event, the chairman of the Branch, Engr Mrs. Funmi Akingbagbohun said that the gesture is a part of the programme of the Branch towards motivating them in preparing for post graduate life after leaving School.
Explaining some of the efforts of the Branch at assisting the Young engineers, she said “It has become worrisome for us as engineers in the industry to see many fresh graduates could not adapt outside the classroom; and this sad development therefore prompted us to come up with initiatives such as Arewa mentorship Scheme, internship programme and endowment fund for the students.”
“In view of this, the family of the late Oludaiye put together the endowment fund not only for YABATECH students, but also for the best students in Electrical Engineering in other institutions yearly in remembrance of their father who was a great humanist while alive.”
Akingbagbohun, who is also an alumni of the College, used the opportunity to appreciate the College in her own professional journey: Saying that the foundation received at YABATECH had prepared her to become who she is today. She said the Institution have been performing excellently in molding many other leaders. She also commend the Management for ensuring the College continues it right path toward being the best in the country.
A cheque of N250,000 was presented to the college for academic development of the institution. She said the award would be presented on January 25 yearly as part of activities to celebrate the posthumous birthday anniversary of the late Anthony Oludaiye.”
The Rector thanked the branch and the family for the gesture. He informed the team about the college’s N50 billion Endowment Fund set up to address the huge infrastructure needs of the college, which according to him is in dire need of funds as government could not do it alone.
He highlighted the efforts of the College at bridging the Skill gaps and making the graduates employable and competitive after graduation.
Omokungbe who is the first alumni of the College to be appointed as Rector said that they have established a partnership with a firm in the UK, to make the products of the College more employable in the market.
He added that his administration has initiated a programme in conjunction with NYSC in which graduates of the institution are assured of smooth transition to labour market after completing their NYSC. Every student participant are sure of employment after the program.
He however stated that the COVID-19 impact is delaying the progress of the program. The mission of Yabatech, he said, is to continue being the first and the best, also every graduate from the school will continue to be proud of it.
Engr Omokungbe expressed his delight at the initiative and praised efforts towards honouring the memory of the great man. He added that the legacy project can be done and maintained by the family for life. He said “For you to have remembered his source and come back to honour him through giving back to the institution is very commendable. I want to thank you very much. I pray God grants him eternal rest and continue to be with the family he left behind.”
Yaba College of technology was founded in 1947 as a successor to Yaba Higher college, this becoming the first higher institution in Nigeria. It is the first higher institution in Nigeria to establish a Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, with linkages with the world of Commerce and Industry.
Engr Anthony Oludaiye was born in January 25 1936 to Prince Dickson Oyeyemi, a civil servanht and Mrs. Victoria Omobola Oludaiye. He attended the Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Lagos Island, and St Gregory’s College, Obalende in 1951.
He worked in various capacity under the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria, ECN and rose to the position of Assistant General Manager, (Now equivalent of General Manager) Benin Zone in 1991. He voluntarily retired from civil services having worked across various parts of Nigeria and left positive impacts.
While posted to kano, he worked with others to establish Kano Branch of NSE and served as its first chairman between 1974 and 1976. In 1997, Engr Oludaiye became the third Chairman of NSE Ikeja Branch. Under his tenure, the Branch hosted the International Engineering Conference and brought Engineers across the world to Lagos.
An astute professional, he was a registered engineer by both Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN (1977) and Council of Engineering Institutions, England (1972). He became a fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers on October 1982 while he also bagged the Fellowship of the British Institute of Electrical Engineering, IEE in May 1988. Until his death, he was a Consultant/Managing Director of AKOL Engineering Company, Lagos and Chairman of Okey Electrical.
compiled by Mariam Haruna, Isqil Najim
