Soyinka gives FUNAAB Ijegba Forestage’s custody
Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has given up the custody of his Ijegba forestage in Abeokuta to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
The institution announced this in a statement by the Registrar, Dr. Bola Adekola on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the institution and Soyinka signed a Memorandum of Understanding to seal the deal.
Ijegba Forestage, comprising several hectares of land areas housing residence, library, and writers’ retreat residency is to be managed by the University to promote academic, cultural, ecological, and recreational studies leading to the deepening of multicultural studies that can strengthen the integration of science and humanities.
According to FUNAAB, at the low-key signing ceremony held at the Ijegba Forestage, Soyinka who is an Honorary Doctorate Degree Awardee of the institution was said to have expressed his broad views on how the entire space should be put into use now and even after his exit.
In his response at the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Felix Kolawole Salako, was said to have expressed appreciation to the Nobel Laureate.
He assured him that the university would make the best use of the gesture of the donor using his ideals as a guide.
The vice-chancellor noted that in spite of the separation of disciplines for award of degrees, all of them had a point where they merged for the benefit of mankind.
The university, he said, recognised the dictum when it awarded honorary degrees to Soyinka and Professor Toyin Falola, who are in the field of humanities.
