Construction works have begun at the site of a new Faculty of Arts building at the University of Ibadan. This is following a ground-breaking ceremony performed by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Abel Idowu Olayinka on Saturday.
In his remark, Professor Olayinka identified the Faculties of Arts and Education as the two faculties currently having a challenge with the shortage of office spaces for staff and the lecture room for students.
He said that the needs of Faculty of Education needs was already being addressed, and now the need of faculty of art has been addressed with the devotion of the entire 2011-2014 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) capital project to construct the new building.
EduCeleb.com reports that the new building, when completed will comprise a six-storey building (five suspended floors) with a 200 capacities hall, three 150 halls, lecturer’s offices, toilets, utility rooms and services rooms.
He urged the contractors to ensure efficient service delivery and value for money, while also encouraging them to deliver the project within the completion period specified (36 weeks: 9 months) to be completed in August 2019.
In his remark, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the UI, Professor Ademola Dasylva said the resilience of his immediate predecessor, Professor Adebola Ekanola, helped in the actualisation of the commencement of the project,
The Chairman UI TETFund, Alhaji Usman Yahaya promised that the building will be of high quality that UI will be proud of and that the contractor will officially hand over the project before the end of 2019.
If the project is completed on schedule, the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ibadan would have an additional 6-floor faculty complex. This would complement existing structures and reduce incidents of ‘stranded’ students and lecturers.
Present at the occasion were the Principal Officers of the university, Director at the Office of International Programme (OIP), Professor Adebola Ekanola, Director of Works and Maintenance, Head of Departments, and the contractors.