By Cosmas Omegoh
The Department Of Urban And Regional Planning of the University of Lagos has celebrated the launch of its alumni association and unveiled an interim executive committee, which will govern the body. The twin events held at the L’eola Hotel in Maryland, Lagos.
The seven-man executive committee comprises outstanding and high-achieving alumni in the field, and has been established to help in ensuring sustainability of the department and students who pass through the system. The association which will be led by Mr. Tolulope Adeusi, founder of Executive One Capital Services Limited and the Operations Director of TGM Education and TG Marchnata group of companies, includes other top professionals in the field like Dr. Rosemary Omoayena Odunbaku, the Human Settlement Officer UN-Habitat (Kenya) as Vice-President; Dr. Folayele Oluyemi Akindeju, as Secretary General; Ms. Damilola Odekunle, as Assistant Secretary General; Mr. Olubola Oluwole, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Top Rank Images Limited as Media and Publicity Secretary; Mr. Richard Unuigboje, as Assistant Media and Publicity Secretary; and Ms. Damilola Oluwo, as Financial Secretary.
The association aims to bridge the gap between the institution, professionals and the workplace through initiatives, such as career preparation support, internships, and training apprenticeships. The occasion, which created a special bonding opportunity between long graduated alumni and recent graduates, reminded the latter that they were not alone and, as members of the association, would always have a community supporting their career development.
The Acting Head of Department, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Lagos, Associate Professor (Dr) Wale Alade, who conceived the idea of birthing an association that could help move the department forward and arm the existing students and graduates with the important tools to compete on a global scale, expressed his gratitude to the alumni members for their cooperation in making the launch possible and also appealed to all members to help in the sustainable progress of the department.
During his remarks, the newly appointed President, Mr. Tolulope Adeusi said: “This occasion presents an opportunity for all members to enjoy the experience and network of one another. I personally witnessed the highly ambitious and committed faculty whose courage, hard work, and dedication have helped in producing bright students who have reached pinnacles of success and established themselves in the industry. Our collective goal as an association is to make the education offered by this great department and the university even better. Our focus will be to provide a fostering environment for fresh graduates, young professionals, and the university community, so that collectively, we can have a better society, student experience, and learning institute.”
Joining the event virtually from Nairobi, Kenya, the appointed vice president, Dr. Rosemary Omoayena Odunbaku, congratulated all alumni of the department for becoming great leaders in their fields. She said, “Even those who are not practicing town planning have been able to translate their learnings into their respective ventures, becoming pacesetters in the chosen paths. Additionally, I want to congratulate the executive committee and the Head of Department, Dr. Wale Alade, for this remarkable milestone, trusting that we will keep at it and show forth the strength and value of this great department.”
The event came to an end with the announcement of donations from members of the alumni association to wholeheartedly support the organization’s goals and fundraising efforts. The funds, as announced, would be used to outfit the university department with state-of-the-art equipment and ensure it remains the leading institution for urban and regional planning in the country.