Great Ife Alumni DMV Branch Commissions Renovated Block L at Mozambique Hall

In a moving demonstration of the enduring bond between the sons and daughters of Obafemi Awolowo University and their alma mater, the Great Ife Alumni Association, Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) Branch, USA, has officially commissioned a fully renovated block of rooms, Block L, at Mozambique Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.

The commissioning ceremony, attended by the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, principal officers, hall management, students and alumni delegates who travelled from the United States, marked another significant milestone in alumni led investment in student welfare and institutional development at Great Ife.

Among the university officials present were the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration; Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic; Dean of Student Affairs; Deputy Dean of Student Affairs; Acting Director of Advancement; Director of Agricultural Research and Institute, as well as other principal officers and representatives of the University.

A Homecoming of the Soul

Delivering the commissioning address, President of the Great Ife Alumni Association, DMV Branch, USA, Mr. Oluwole Akinyede, described the return of the US based alumni delegation to the campus as a deeply personal moment for every son and daughter of Great Ife.

“Returning to this campus, a place that shaped our formative years and instilled in us the values of excellence and integrity, feels like a homecoming of the soul,” Akinyede said.

Speaking in the presence of the Vice Chancellor, principal officers, the Warden and management of Mozambique Hall and students of the University, the alumni president described the project as a testament to the enduring bond between alumni and their alma mater.

He said the renovation represented a tangible expression of the association’s commitment to giving back to the institution and society that nurtured its members.

Why Block L Matters

Explaining the philosophy behind the intervention, Akinyede said the DMV Branch regards education as “the most powerful tool for societal transformation.”

He, however, stressed that students can only thrive academically when their living environment provides comfort, focus and inspiration.

“By investing in these residential facilities, the Great Ife Alumni Association DMV Branch aims to provide a home away from home, a space where the leaders of tomorrow can rest, study, and build lifelong friendships,” he said.

Akinyede expressed the hope that the renovated facility would serve as a catalyst for academic success and personal growth for every student who lives there.

He emphasised that the project was not the work of one individual but the product of collective vision, financial generosity, dedication and commitment from members of the DMV Branch.

The alumni president expressed appreciation to the Hall Warden of Mozambique Hall, Mrs. Adesupo, whose support, guidance and commitment to student welfare contributed to the successful completion of the project.

He also acknowledged the contractor and the team responsible for executing the renovation, commending their professionalism, dedication and quality of workmanship.

Akinyede further appreciated the Vice Chancellor and the entire University Management for providing an enabling environment for the partnership between the alumni association and the University to flourish.

He said the leadership of the University had continued to keep the flag of Great Ife flying high and expressed pride in being associated with the institution’s pursuit of academic excellence.

The alumni president also appreciated members of the association who travelled from the United States to attend the commissioning, describing their presence as evidence of the global reach and deep rooted loyalty of the Great Ife Alumni Association family.

He commended the project committee and executive team of the DMV Branch, saying the successful delivery of Block L demonstrated the effectiveness of collective planning and execution.

A Message to the Students

Turning directly to the students of Mozambique Hall, Akinyede urged them to take ownership of the renovated facility and protect it for the benefit of present and future residents.

“This building is for you. We encourage you to take ownership of this space, to treat it with care, and to let it be a sanctuary for your dreams,” he said.

He reminded the students that living in the facility also meant becoming part of a legacy of excellence.

He encouraged them to make effective use of the improved environment, pursue academic success and make meaningful contributions to society.

Akinyede formally declared Block L, Mozambique Hall, commissioned for the use and benefit of students of Obafemi Awolowo University.

He described the facility as “a beacon of progress and a symbol of what we can achieve when we work together for the common good.”

GNA: This Is Real Giving Back to the Alma Mater

Reacting to the commissioning, the Executive Director of the Great Nigerian Assembly, Dr. Kayode Elusoji, expressed profound appreciation to the leadership and members of the Great Ife Alumni Association, DMV Branch, USA, for making the renovation possible.

Elusoji described the initiative as an outstanding example of civic responsibility and said it represented the kind of practical contribution that the Great Nigerian Assembly seeks to celebrate and encourage across Nigeria and the Diaspora.

“On behalf of the leadership and members of the Great Nigerian Assembly across Nigeria and the Diaspora, I extend our profound appreciation to Mr. Oluwole Akinyede, the executive team and every member of the Great Ife Alumni Association, DMV Branch, United States, for the successful renovation and commissioning of Block L, Mozambique Hall,” Elusoji said.

“This is real giving back to the alma mater. It is a tangible, disciplined, community changing act of citizenship, and it is exactly the kind of civic contribution that the Great Nigerian Assembly seeks to celebrate and multiply.”

Elusoji called on other chapters of the Great Ife Alumni Association, professional groups, community associations and individuals at home and in the Diaspora to follow the example set by the DMV Branch.

He noted that every renovated hall of residence, borehole provided, laboratory equipped, scholarship endowed or mentorship programme sustained represents an investment in the future of the next generation of Nigerians.

He also commended the management of Obafemi Awolowo University under Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire for its efforts towards moving the University forward and repositioning Great Ife for greater impact.

Other senior executive members of the Great Nigerian Assembly also expressed appreciation for the initiative.

They included GN (Dr.) Sunday Adebiyi from Australia; GN Gabriel Whyte from Canada; GN (Dr.) Olusegun Apata; GN (Dr.) Olufunke Momoh; GN (Dr.) Raphael Opeyemi; GN Olalekan Martins; GN Tunji Adeleke; GN (Dr.) Wole Ajifolokun; GN Gbenga Fabamigbe; GN Roland Elusanmi; GN (Dr.) Bashir Agboola; GN Olusina Ojewola, Director of Public Relations, GNA, USA; GN (Arch.) Simbo Akinola Odusola; GN (Dr.) Jochebed Ade Oshifogun; GN (Dr.) Ademola Raji; GN (Rev.) Amos Oladipo; and several other distinguished alumni of the institution.

The broad support from GNA members across Nigeria, the United States, Canada, Australia and other parts of the Diaspora underscores the organisation’s conviction that coordinated alumni and citizen investment in educational institutions remains one of the enduring pathways to national renewal.

A Call to the Great Ife Family and Nigerian Diaspora

The Block L project stands as a practical example of a growing culture within the Great Ife family, where alumni not only remember where they came from but deliberately reinvest in the intellectual, educational and residential environments that shaped them.

For the Great Nigerian Assembly, the initiative provides a model that other alumni chapters, professional associations, community groups and individual philanthropists can adapt.

Such interventions may include hall renovations, scholarship endowments, mentorship programmes, healthcare initiatives, research support, laboratory development and other projects capable of producing visible and lasting benefits.

Alumni chapters at home and across the world, professional bodies of Ife indigenes in medicine, law, engineering, technology, education and business, community associations and individuals who have long wished for meaningful ways to give back are encouraged to follow the DMV Branch’s example.

They can engage directly with University Management and channel their contributions into projects that produce visible, verifiable and sustainable impact on the lives of current and future students of Great Ife.

Long Live Great Ife

In his closing remarks, Akinyede said Block L should stand “as a beacon of progress and a symbol of what we can achieve when we work together for the common good.”

For the students who will now call Block L home, the alumni who conceived, supported and delivered the project, the University Management whose leadership continues to advance the institution, and every son and daughter of Ile Ife watching from different parts of the world, the commissioning carried a clear and enduring message of service, unity and responsibility.

The renovated Block L is therefore not merely a refurbished student residence. It represents a continuing bond between Great Ife and its global alumni family, while demonstrating how collective commitment can translate into practical improvements within educational institutions.

As the facility begins a new chapter in the life of Mozambique Hall, the project remains a testament to excellence, generosity, service and the enduring responsibility of alumni to contribute to the institutions that helped shape their lives.

Long Live Great Ife.