Dr Rabiu Olowo, an alumnus of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, has donated an Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library to his alma mater in a foundation-laying ceremony held on Monday.
Dr Olowo, who serves as Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and Chairman of the UNCTAD International Standard of Accounting and Reporting (SAR), described the gesture as a way of giving back to the institution that shaped his career.
The ceremony, performed by PAAU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Salisu Ogbo Usman, took place within the Faculty of Management Sciences, adjacent to the Centre for Pre-Degree and Diploma Studies (CPDS) Building.
Representing the donor, Dr Mohammed Umar — Assistant Professor of Accounting at the United Arab Emirates University, a PAAU alumnus and an indigene of Ankpa, Kogi State, who facilitated the project — described the Centre as a world-class academic and research facility designed in line with international best practices to promote research, teaching, innovation and professional development.
Dr Umar said the Centre will house a state-of-the-art digital library giving PAAU students, lecturers and researchers, as well as scholars from other Nigerian universities, access to digital textbooks, academic journals and research databases through partnerships with national and international professional accounting bodies.
The facility will also include modern seminar and conference halls, a business centre, a cafeteria, uninterrupted 24-hour power supply, high-speed internet connectivity and an in-house borehole — all intended to enhance teaching, learning, research and the University’s global academic visibility. Dr Umar added that the Centre would open up research funding opportunities and serve as a catalyst for innovation within the University and beyond.
The Head of the Department of Accounting, Dr Sunday Simon, called the project a transformative intervention that will strengthen accounting education, research, innovation and professional development at the University.
He commended the Vice-Chancellor for notable progress made within a short period in office, citing improvements in campus security, environmental sanitation, restoration of regular water supply, installation of solar-powered streetlights, relocation of roadside shops to a permanent location, and the revival of Fusion FM Radio Station after several years off air.
Dr Simon thanked Dr Olowo for reinvesting in the institution that laid the foundation for his career and acknowledged Dr Umar’s role in facilitating the project.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Usman thanked the School of Management Sciences, particularly the Department of Accounting, for attracting the landmark project, and commended the Head of Department’s foresight in approaching the donor.
Professor Usman noted that Dr Olowo, though not an indigene of Kogi State, chose to invest in the institution that nurtured him academically — a gesture he said demonstrates that the University’s diversity should remain its greatest strength rather than a source of division. He also urged lecturers to always treat their students well, noting that the students of today may hold their welfare in their hands as leaders of tomorrow.
The Vice-Chancellor observed that since the University’s establishment, no alumnus had previously donated a project of this magnitude specifically aimed at enhancing research capacity and the institution’s global visibility. He described the Centre as an enduring legacy and directed that adequate security measures be put in place to safeguard the facility once completed.
Professor Usman called on other distinguished PAAU alumni to emulate Dr Olowo by giving back to their alma mater through impactful projects that advance teaching, learning, research and infrastructure, rather than disputes over stipends received from the institution. He stressed that government alone cannot provide all the resources needed to build a world-class university.
The proposed Rabiu Olowo Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library is expected to position Prince Abubakar Audu University as a leading hub for accounting education, digital learning and research in Nigeria.
A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the book Lessons from Life, authored by the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to the Vice-Chancellor.
The ceremony was attended by the University’s Principal Officers, staff members and other guests.
