By Jimoh Babatunde
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has honoured Mrs. Abiola Adelana, Head of Tourism and Creative Business at Sterling Bank Plc, with its prestigious 65th Anniversary Award of Excellence in recognition of her outstanding professional accomplishments and contributions to the advancement of her alma mater.
The award was conveyed in a formal invitation letter signed by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Simeon Adebayo Bamire, ahead of the institution’s 65th Anniversary Celebration scheduled for June 8, 2026.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, Mrs. Adelana was selected among a distinguished group of alumni whose achievements have brought honour and prestige to the university and whose commitment continues to embody the ideals of the institution.
The anniversary celebration, themed “Six Decades of Excellence: Honouring the Past, Engineering the Future,” will bring together alumni, academics, government officials, industry leaders and other stakeholders to celebrate the university’s enduring legacy as a centre of excellence in learning and culture.
A major highlight of the celebration will be the launch of the ₦10 billion President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) Centre of Excellence in Intercultural Dialogue and Youth Empowerment, a landmark initiative designed to promote national cohesion, intercultural understanding and youth development.
In the invitation, Professor Bamire described Adelana as an important part of the “Great Ife” legacy, noting that her distinguished career and contributions to national development have reflected positively on the institution.
The university also appealed to its alumni and partners to support the successful hosting of the anniversary programmes, which have an estimated budget of ₦265 million. The institution expressed confidence that the collective support of alumni and stakeholders would ensure a memorable celebration while inspiring future generations of students.
Mrs. Adelana, a respected tourism and creative economy professional, has played a significant role in promoting tourism development, destination marketing and creative enterprise growth in Nigeria through her leadership position at Sterling Bank.
The 65th anniversary celebration is expected to serve as a major homecoming for alumni across generations, offering an opportunity to reconnect with the university while celebrating its contributions to national and global development over the past six and a half decades.
Founded in 1961, Obafemi Awolowo University remains one of Nigeria’s leading higher institutions, renowned for its commitment to academic excellence, research, innovation and its enduring motto, “For Learning and Culture.”
