PAAU Alumnus Dr. Rabiu Olowo Donates Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library to Prince Abubakar Audu University
Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, has received a major boost as alumnus and Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Executive Secretary, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, donates a world-class Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library to enhance teaching, research and innovation.
Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, has received a significant boost to its academic and research infrastructure following the donation of an Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library by one of its distinguished alumni, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) and Chairman of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR).
The development was disclosed in a statement made available to KogiOnline.ng by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Uredo Omale, who said the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Salisu Ogbo Usman, performed the foundation-laying ceremony for the landmark project on Monday at the Faculty of Management Sciences, immediately after the Centre for Pre-Degree and Diploma Studies (CPDS) complex.
According to the statement, the project is Dr. Olowo’s way of giving back to the institution that laid the foundation for his academic and professional success.
Representing the donor at the ceremony, Dr. Mohammed Umar, an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the United Arab Emirates University, alumnus of PAAU and an indigene of Ankpa, Kogi State, described the proposed facility as a world-class academic and research hub designed in line with international standards to promote teaching, research, innovation and professional development.
He explained that the centre would feature a state-of-the-art digital library equipped with access to digital textbooks, academic journals, research databases and other scholarly resources through partnerships with both national and international professional accounting organisations.
According to him, the facility will also include modern seminar and conference halls, a business centre, cafeteria, uninterrupted 24-hour electricity, high-speed internet connectivity and an independent borehole to provide a conducive environment for teaching, learning and research.
Dr. Umar noted that the centre is expected to enhance global academic visibility for the university while creating opportunities for research grants and collaborative projects that will strengthen innovation and scholarly excellence.
Earlier, the Head of the Department of Accounting, Dr. Sunday Simon, described the intervention as a landmark investment that would significantly improve accounting education and research within the institution.
He commended the Vice-Chancellor for what he described as the rapid transformation taking place across the university, citing improvements in campus security, environmental sanitation, restoration of water supply, installation of solar-powered streetlights, relocation of roadside traders to a permanent location and the revival of Fusion FM Radio Station after years of inactivity.
Dr. Simon also expressed appreciation to Dr. Rabiu Olowo for remembering his alma mater through a legacy project capable of impacting generations of students, while acknowledging the efforts of Dr. Mohammed Umar in facilitating the initiative.
In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor Professor Salisu Ogbo Usman thanked the Faculty of Management Sciences and the Department of Accounting for attracting what he described as one of the most significant alumni-sponsored projects in the history of the institution.
He praised the Head of the Department for reaching out to the donor and commended Dr. Mohammed Umar for his commitment to ensuring the successful take-off of the project.
Professor Usman observed that although Dr. Olowo is not an indigene of Kogi State, he chose to invest in the university that nurtured him academically, describing the gesture as a powerful demonstration that the institution’s diversity should remain a source of strength and unity.
The Vice-Chancellor urged lecturers to always maintain positive relationships with their students, noting that today’s students could become tomorrow’s leaders and benefactors of the university.
He further disclosed that since the establishment of the university, no alumnus had undertaken a project of similar magnitude specifically aimed at strengthening research capacity and enhancing the institution’s global academic profile.
Describing the proposed Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library as an enduring legacy, Professor Usman directed that adequate security measures be put in place to safeguard the facility upon completion.
He also called on other distinguished alumni to emulate Dr. Olowo by investing in projects that would advance teaching, learning, research and infrastructure development, stressing that government alone cannot provide all the resources required to build a globally competitive university.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, sustained alumni support remains critical to the continued growth and international competitiveness of Prince Abubakar Audu University.
The statement noted that the proposed Rabiu Olowo Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library is expected to position PAAU as one of Nigeria’s leading institutions for accounting education, digital learning and research.
The ceremony also featured 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.
Principal officers of the university, members of staff and other invited guests attended the event.