In its unbending desire to truly lead others by example to change the face of functional education in Nigeria, the nascent Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has established an Institute of Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (OGEES).
Speaking at the inauguration of the Board of Directors of the Institute in Ado-Ekiti over the weekend, its Executive Director, Mr. Patrick Tolani, said the independent multi-disciplinary Institute was established last year to serve as the modern day equivalent of the Agora of classical Athens, a market place where burning issues of importance are unearthed, discussed, analysed and more importantly are resolved.
According to Tolani, the non-profit making institute which is committed research, training and consultancy as well as capacity development, will address the pressing and perennial issues of energy insecurity, gas flaring and oil-driven conflicts as well as terrorism among others which have combined to portray Nigeria as a bad example of a resource-rich nation but with little or nothing to show for it in terms of development, economic prosperity, social stability and environmental protection.
The Executive Director said the Institute will strive to achieve sustainable energy development and to use legal and policy framework to achieve more inclusive and equitable management of the country’s energy resources within safer, healthier and wealthier communities.
The strategic objective of the Institute is to utilize policy, national and international law and institutions to promote the sustainable exploration of natural resources, protect the environment and human health, promote energy security and foster a progressive shift towards renewable energy resources in Nigeria, nay, the world over.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Directors of the Institute, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, commended Babalola’s vision of setting up the wave making Afe Babalola University and now OGEES and particularly for spending his all in terms of time, resources and good to bring succour and relief to humanity.
Ajumogobia, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Petroleum, eulogised Babalola for his often quoted selflessness, stressing that when he (Ajumogobia) assumed duties in the Ministry of Petroleum, he saw a letter written by Babalola turning down an oil block allocated to him because of his belief that what he was asked to pay was not commensurate with the likely proceeds from the oil block.
He noted that Babalola must have been the only Nigerian to have turned down such a juicy offer.
Other seasoned and tested members of the Board are Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kacikwu, Dr. Chinyere Ozumba, Sir Remi Omotoso, Dr. Olu Oluleye, Mr. Joseph Ibitomisin, Ms. Elizabeth Preye Joseph-Obere, and Tony Agbojo, with Tolani as the Executive Director.
Babalola thanked members of the Board for honouring the invitation to serve, pointing out that with the calibre and antecedent of people on the Board, he is optimistic that they will take the Institute to greater heights.