UNILAG Confers Honorary Doctorate On Wale Tinubu, Lauds Contributions To Education

Another feather has been added to the well-decorated cap of the Group Chief Executive of Oando Group, Mr. Adewale Tinubu, following his conferment with an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Business (Honoris Causa) by the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
The honour was bestowed on Tinubu during the institution’s 56th Convocation Ceremonies, which concluded on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
According to a letter from the university, the award was approved in recognition of Tinubu’s sterling contributions and exceptional leadership in the business, energy, and education sectors.
The letter read in part:
“On behalf of the Governing Council, Management, Staff, and Students of the University of Lagos, I am pleased to inform you that the Governing Council, in recognition of your exceptional leadership in the business, energy and education sectors, has approved the recommendation of the University Senate for the conferment of the Honorary Doctorate Degree of Business (Honoris Causa) of the University of Lagos on you.”
It further stated that the award would be formally conferred during the 56th Convocation Ceremonies held on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Tinubu also delivered a speech on behalf of other honorary award recipients at the ceremony.
Widely regarded as a strong advocate of quality education in Nigeria, Tinubu has played a leading role through the establishment of the Oando Foundation, an independent charity set up to support the Federal Government’s Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme.
The Foundation adopts a multifaceted approach aimed at creating a superior learning environment for both pupils and teachers. Its flagship initiative, the Adopt-A-School Initiative (AASI), focuses on addressing critical needs within the education ecosystem through infrastructure development, establishment of ICT and creative centres, early childhood care and development programmes, teacher capacity building, and scholarship schemes.
Notable achievements of the Foundation include the adoption of over 100 public primary schools nationwide, enrolment of more than 100,000 out-of-school children, construction and renovation of hundreds of classrooms, distribution of over 30,000 teaching and learning materials, and the award of scholarships to brilliant but under-served pupils to enable their transition and completion of secondary education.
Tinubu has previously explained that his motivation for establishing the Foundation was to eradicate what he described as “poverty of the mind,” envisioning a Nigeria where every child has access to quality basic education and the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.