The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has honored Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, by unveiling a golden statue in her likeness at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. The ceremony, held on Thursday, was part of the Ooni’s 50th birthday celebrations.
In addition to the statue, the monarch also commissioned a 2.7-kilometer road and a new state-of-the-art hostel on the OAU campus, both named in honor of the First Lady. The road, now known as “Senator Oluremi Tinubu Way,” is equipped with solar-powered street lamps.
Speaking at the event, Ooni Ogunwusi praised Oluremi Tinubu for her contributions to education, youth development, and the empowerment of women. “We erected this golden statue to immortalize her virtues as a teacher, mother, and wife at the heart of Obafemi Awolowo University,” he said. “The hostel and pavilion, the largest in the university’s history, reflect her progressive nature and commitment to creating spaces for learning, development, and empowerment for all.”
Oluremi Tinubu, who is an alumna of OAU, expressed gratitude for the recognition and announced a donation of N1 billion towards the restoration of the university’s horticultural landscape. She emphasized the need to bring back the beauty of the campus, stating, “Ife is crying out for help. It used to be a beautiful campus, and that beauty must be restored.”
The newly unveiled statue and the other infrastructural projects are seen as lasting tributes to the First Lady’s dedication to public service and her role in promoting the welfare of the underprivileged in society.
