Queen’s College old girls launch N10bn endowment fund

The Queen’s College Old Girls Association (QCOGA), Lagos, has launched a fundraising initiative to upgrade the school’s facilities, improve education of the girl-child and contribute to national development. Briefing newsmen Saturday in Abuja on the sidelines of a Fundraising Walkathon, President of QCOGA, Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, said the launch of the N10bn endowment fund was […]

The Queen’s College Old Girls Association (QCOGA), Lagos, has launched a fundraising initiative to upgrade the school’s facilities, improve education of the girl-child and contribute to national development.

Briefing newsmen Saturday in Abuja on the sidelines of a Fundraising Walkathon, President of QCOGA, Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, said the launch of the N10bn endowment fund was initiated to celebrate the college’s 95th anniversary.

She said, “Queen’s College has had the privilege, since its inception in 1927, of educating and producing women leaders for Nigeria.

“It has been 95 years of growth and striving for excellence and this anniversary provides an opportunity for the old girls, under the auspices of the Queen’s College Old Girls’ Association, to not only celebrate their alma mater but to also launch some laudable initiatives towards improving the school and contributing to the education of the girl-child and overall national development,” she said.

She said foremost among these initiatives is the launching of the N10bn endowment fund aimed at ensuring well-equipped classrooms and boarding houses, featuring state-of-the-art infrastructure, technology and science-based learning apparatus, sustainable power, and reliable water supply, alongside the physical projects.

According to her, the QCOGA is committed to constructive engagement with all major stakeholders to influence policy and advance the cause of education, “which we consider to be the fundamental underpinning of our national development.”

Member, Board of Trustees, QCOGA, Prof Christine Ofulue, who also doubles as the Chairperson education committee of the association, said the school is proud to have produced many ‘firsts’ in the country.

She listed some of them to include the first Nigerian principal of Queen’s College Lagos, Mrs Iphigenia Coker; the first female professor in Nigeria, Prof. Adetoun Ogunsheye and the recently appointed as the vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Folasade Ogunsola among others.

Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Maryam Uwais, who is also a member of the association, said: “Queen’s college has done a lot for us. It imbibed so many values and a lot of what we are today is because of the discipline that we were able to imbibe from when we were in school.”

“It took a lot for me to come out at 6:30am, I have to admit, but I’m glad I did and the workout was good for us,” she said.