From Heritage to High-Tech: Olanrewaju Leads Educational Revolution in Otun-Ekiti

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Ekiti State’s drive towards educational excellence and digital transformation received a significant boost as Ansar-Ud-Deen Islamic Secondary School, Otun-Ekiti, unveiled a world-class 350-seater Computer-Based Test (CBT), Science and Technology Centre, alongside the foundation laying for a modern Science and Technology Laboratory Block.

The projects, designed to strengthen science education, digital literacy and innovation among students, are expected to position the institution as one of the leading centres for technology-driven learning in the state.

The ceremony attracted the National President of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Prince Mosediq Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, alongside education stakeholders, community leaders and alumni who described the project as a major investment in the future of Ekiti’s children.

Driving the educational transformation is Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, the National Organising Secretary of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, whose vision, strategic leadership and commitment to educational advancement have attracted critical investments to his alma mater.

The new two-storey CBT centre represents a major leap in digital education infrastructure. Beyond serving as a venue for external examinations, the facility was designed to provide students with practical digital skills required in today’s technology-driven world.

The centre houses 350 computer workstations capable of accommodating candidates simultaneously, high-speed wireless internet infrastructure engineered for 99.9 per cent connectivity uptime, high-definition CCTV surveillance, and a hybrid renewable energy system powered by 90 solar panels, six 12kVA lithium batteries and an 80kVA standby diesel generator to ensure uninterrupted learning and examination activities.

Education experts at the event stated that the facility will eliminate the challenges students often face in accessing accredited CBT centres while exposing them to modern digital learning tools that prepare them for higher education and global opportunities.

The CBT centre was conceived by the school’s alumni as a dual-purpose investment to improve digital education and create a sustainable source of revenue for the institution. Recognising the huge financial commitment required, Olanrewaju facilitated a strategic partnership between the alumni and private investors, who financed and equipped the project under a build-transfer arrangement that will ultimately hand full ownership to the school.

In another milestone for science education, Prince Kazeem laid the foundation for a state-of-the-art Science and Technology Laboratory Block donated by the family of the late Alhaji Mohammed Olanrewaju Uthman and the late Alhaja Fausat Aduke Olanrewaju, Olanrewaju’s parents.

The project is rooted in a deeply personal story. Olanrewaju recalled that while his mother had wished for him to study medicine, the school’s lack of science laboratories at the time limited those aspirations. Determined that future generations should not face similar barriers, he initiated the project to provide students with access to modern scientific facilities.

Expected to be completed before the end of the year, the laboratory complex will house fully equipped laboratories for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agriculture and Vocational Studies, as well as administrative offices and other support facilities to enhance practical teaching and research.

Stakeholders described the projects as more than physical infrastructure, saying that they represent strategic investments in human capital development, STEM education and the future competitiveness of Ekiti youths.

They commended Olanrewaju for showing how visionary leadership, alumni engagement, and private sector collaboration can bridge educational gaps and inspire a new generation of scientists, innovators, and technology professionals.

With the completion of the ICT centre and the ongoing laboratory project, Ansar-Ud-Deen Islamic Secondary School, Otun-Ekiti, is emerging as a model institution where heritage meets innovation, equipping students with the knowledge, digital competence and scientific skills needed to thrive in the 21st-century economy.