PAAU ALUMNUS, DR. RABIU OLOWO, DONATES ACCOUNTING RESEARCH CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE AND DIGITAL LIBRARY TO THE UNIVERSITY.
…As Vice Chancellor performs Foundation Laying Ceremony
An illustrous Alumnus of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Dr Rabiu Olowo,
Executive Secretary, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and Chairman, UNCTAD International Standard of Accounting and Reporting (SAR) has donated a legacy project to his alma mater.
Dr Rabiu has donated an Accounting Research Centre of Excellence and Digital Library to the institution as a way of giving back to the institution that molded him.
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The foundation laying ceremony of the project which is located within the Faculty of Management Sciences, immediately after the Centre for Pre-Degree and Diploma Studies (CPDS) Building was performed by the Vice-Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Professor Salisu Ogbo Usman on Monday 27th July, 2026.
Representing the donor at the ceremony, Dr. Mohammed Umar, Assistant Professor of Accounting at the United Arab Emirates University, an alumnus of Prince Abubakar Audu University and an indigene of Ankpa, Kogi State, who facilitated the project described the Centre as a world-class academic and research facility conceptualised in line with international best practices to promote research, teaching, innovation and professional development.
He explained that the Centre will house a state-of-the-art digital library that will provide students, lecturers and researchers of Prince Abubakar Audu University, as well as scholars from other universities across Nigeria, with access to digital textbooks, academic journals, research databases and other scholarly resources through partnerships with national and international professional accounting bodies.
Dr. Umar added that the Centre will feature modern seminar and conference halls, a business centre, cafeteria, uninterrupted 24-hour power supply, high-speed internet connectivity and an in-house borehole, all aimed at enhancing teaching, learning, research and global academic visibility.
He stated that the Centre will facilitate research funding opportunities and serve as a catalyst for innovation and research excellence within the University and beyond.
Earlier, the Head of the Department of Accounting, Dr. Sunday Simon, described the project as a transformative intervention that would strengthen accounting education, research, innovation and professional development in the University.
He commended the Vice-Chancellor for the remarkable transformation recorded within a short period in office, particularly in the areas of 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 appreciated Dr. Rabiu Olowo for giving back to the institution that laid the foundation for his successful career and also acknowledged the invaluable role played by Dr. Mohammed Umar in facilitating the project.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor expressed appreciation to the School of Management Sciences, particularly the Department of Accounting, for attracting such a landmark legacy project to the University.
He commended the Head of Department for his foresight in reaching out to the donor and appreciated Dr. Mohammed Umar for his commitment to the successful foundation laying of the project.
Prof. Usman observed that although Dr. Rabiu Olowo is not an indigene of Kogi State, he chose to invest in the institution that nurtured him academically, describing the gesture as a demonstration that the University’s diversity should remain its greatest strength rather than a source of division.
Professor Usman seized the opportunity to charge lecturers to always treat their students well as their welfare in the future may be in the hands of those students who will become leaders of tomorrow.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that since the establishment of the University, no alumnus had donated a project of such magnitude specifically aimed at enhancing research capacity and the global visibility of the institution.
He described the Centre as an enduring legacy and directed that adequate security measures be put in place to safeguard the facility upon completion.
He called on other distinguished alumni of Prince Abubakar Audu University to emulate Dr. Rabiu Olowo by giving back to their alma mater through impactful projects capable of advancing teaching, learning, research and infrastructural development, rather than fighting themselves over stipends that they receive from the institution with one hand and give back with the other.
He further stressed that government alone cannot provide all the resources required 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.
Highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of a 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 Principal Officers of the University, members of staff amongst others.
Uredo Omale,
Public Relations Officer,
Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER 28TH JULY)
