To further encourage youth development, education and empowerment in the digital space, MTN Foundation, at a virtual event on July 30, handed over an e-library to the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

The e-library was named after former Secretary of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, who is the  chairman of MTN Foundation.

The university is the latest beneficiary of the e-library intervention by the MTN Foundation joining University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Nigeria and University of Benin.

Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi said the infrastructure would give students easy access to additional resources to broaden their learning.He thanked the foundation for supporting his book gift to the e-library.

“Buying books for me has been a lifelong investment and when it was time to give them away, my alma-mater, the Obafemi Awolowo University, came to mind. On speaking with the school librarian, it became necessary to equip the library with some digital resources and this was where the MTN Foundation came in.

“Brightening lives and empowering youths have always been a priority for us at the MTN Foundation. Providing adequate infrastructure for students to access quality education physically or virtually is of utmost importance. This is why we have worked together on this project to empower the students for a formidable future in the new digital era. The world has gone digital and we will not wait behind.”

Ag. Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, said the foundation was honoured to name the library after the founder of Juli Pharmacy.

She said: “This particular library is special because it is tied to the legacy of a man we at the MTN Foundation hold in very high esteem. A man dedicated to the health and development of generations. It has been upgraded to deliver even more value for the students of this great institution. We trust that the symbolism of the inspirational leader who this library is named after is not lost on those who use it.”

Mrs. Sanya, who said 273 OAU students had benefitted from the foundation’s Science and Technology scholarship, added that it would also institute scholarship in Pharmacy and Law in Adelusi-Adeluyi’s honour.

“In honour of our chairman, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the MTN Foundation is instituting the Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi OFR Prize for Pharmacy and Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi OFR, mni Prize for Law. The three-year scholarship for Pharmacy and Law students will benefit eight outstanding scholars from universities across the country,” she said.

Reacting to the donation, the OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope 8Ogunbodede, said: “We are excited that the chairman, through the MTN Foundation, decided to bestow this honour on the Obafemi Awolowo University. What we have in the Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi e-Library has assisted us in obtaining the university’s accreditation, which earned us a hundred percent. We appreciate the MTN Foundation for this contribution and are committed to setting and implementing sustainable measures to ensure that these resources are put to the best use. This gesture will accelerate students’ learning and bridge the gap in areas where textbooks are not readily available.”