Prominent Lagos socialite and Co-founder of Bluechip Technologies, Kazeem Tewogbade, has donated a newly constructed mini stadium to his alma mater Matori Senior Grammar School, Okota, Lagos, as part of efforts to promote sports development and improve learning environment in the school.
The facility, named Chukwuka Anosike ‘Chukabala’ Stadium, after a former outstanding footballer from the 1992 set of the school, was commissioned during a colourful ceremony attended by former students, school officials, community leaders, students, business associates and other guests.
Speaking at the event, Tewogbade said the project was built from scratch and required the necessary approvals from relevant government authorities before construction could commence.
He described the donation as an opportunity to give back to the institution that played an important role in shaping his life.
Tewogbade said he remained committed to supporting the school, adding that plans were underway to undertake additional projects aimed at creating a better learning environment for both students and teachers.
He urged the school authorities and students to make proper use of the facility and assured them that members of the 1992 set would continue to support their alma mater whenever the need arose.
The guest of honor and Chairman of Isolo Local Council Development Area, Otunba Adebayo Olasoju, who is also an alumnus and set-mate of Tewogbade, commended the initiative.
Olasoju said he was delighted to witness the commissioning of the facility, describing it as an important contribution to the development of sports among students.
He urged the school to maintain the facility and encourage students to participate actively in sporting activities, Olasoju expressed hope that the investment would help the school discover and nurture more talented footballers in the years ahead, recalling the achievements of former Matori football star Fatai Atere.
The commissioning ceremony also featured an open-mic session during which students showcased their musical and creative talents.
Three novelty football matches were played as part of activities marking the event.
The first match featured members of the 1992 set against current students of the school.
The encounter produced a goalless first half before the old boys scored late to secure victory and avoid a penalty shoot-out.
The second match was between a Bluechip Technologies team and Young Boys FC. Young Boys emerged winners by a lone goal after a keenly contested encounter.
The final and main novelty match of the day featured Crown FC and Femo FC. The encounter produced five goals and generated excitement among guests and football enthusiasts at the venue, with Femo FC eventually emerging victorious.
Tewogbade’s wife, Mrs Bola Tewogbade, former principal of the school, Mrs Akinwande Adebukola, and the current principal, Mr Fasasi, presented the trophy to the winning Femo FC team.
The mini stadium is not Tewogbade’s first contribution to his former school.
Tewogbade and members of the 1992 graduating set have previously supported the renovation and refurbishment of classroom blocks at the school.
In 2018, Tewogbade also launched a N2m Bluechip Endowment Fund at Matori Grammar School.
The fund was established to support capital projects and reward outstanding students and teachers.
Under the initiative, the best graduating student receives an annual award of N300,000. Tewogbade said plans were also underway to recognize outstanding teachers, noting their role in educating and mentoring students.
One of the guests at the commissioning, Engineer Joseph Ajilore, described the mini stadium as a laudable corporate social responsibility initiative.
He urged the school and its students to take good care of the facility, expressing hope that it would contribute to the discovery of future sporting talents who could represent Nigeria at national and international competitions.
Also speaking, Bluechip Technologies Co-founder and Tewogbade’s longtime business partner, Olumide Soyombo, expressed his delight at witnessing the completion of the project.
Mr Soyombo said he was curious about the choice of name for the stadium and was informed that it was named after an outstanding footballer from Tewogbade’s 1992 set.
He urged the school to ensure that the facility was properly maintained and used for the development of students.
A former principal of the school, Mrs Akinwande Adebukola, recalled that the site earmarked for the stadium initially had a dilapidated building.
She said Tewogbade approached her with the proposal to construct the facility, but the building could not be demolished without approval from the relevant government authorities.
According to her, correspondence was subsequently sent to the appropriate authorities, which eventually granted approval for the project to proceed.
Akinwande said she was happy to witness the completion and commissioning of the facility and urged Mr Tewogbade and other old students to continue supporting the school.
Another former principal, Mrs Funke Oketumbi, commended Tewogbade for his contributions to the development of the school.
Oketumbi praised his humility and commitment, saying his various interventions had contributed to improving the school’s environment.
She also appealed to him and other alumni to consider supporting additional projects that remained outstanding in the school.
The event ended with a vote of thanks by the President of the MGS 1992 Set, after which guests, alumni, students and other participants continued with music and social interactions before departing.
