Excitement and jubilation filled the premises of Omu Boys Secondary School, Ibusa, in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, as the Prof. Emmanuel Nolue Emenanjo Foundation, popularly known as the Umu Nolue Foundation, donated 60 double-seater desks, 60 double-seater chairs and office tables to the school in a move aimed at improving the learning environment and preserving the educational legacy of the late renowned scholar.
The donation, which attracted staff, students, old boys, community leaders and other stakeholders, was described as a fitting tribute to the late Prof. Emmanuel Nolue Emenanjo (1943–2016), Nigeria’s first Professor of Igbo Language, a foremost linguist, former Executive Director of the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), and one of the country’s leading authorities on the standardisation of Igbo grammar and orthography.
Presenting the furniture on behalf of the foundation, Mr. Austin Ubaka said the initiative reflected the lifelong commitment of the late professor to education and human development.
According to him, Prof. Emenanjo regarded education as more than the acquisition of knowledge, describing it as a powerful instrument for transforming lives, expanding opportunities and shaping the future.
“He loved learning and devoted his life to encouraging others to learn. Throughout his career, he inspired countless students, nurtured curiosity, discipline and hope, and left an enduring mark on education.
“Although he is no longer with us, his vision lives on through his children, who established the Umu Nolue Foundation to continue promoting educational development and creating opportunities for young people to thrive,” Ubaka said.
He noted that the late scholar’s children established the foundation to immortalise their father and sustain his passion for educational excellence, adding that the furniture donation was one of several interventions designed to improve learning conditions in schools.
Ubaka also paid glowing tribute to the accomplished academic, recalling that Prof. Emenanjo taught in several institutions, distinguished himself as a professor of linguistics and dedicated his life to scholarship until his passing on February 9, 2016.
Receiving the items on behalf of the school, the Principal, Mrs. Augustina Omeife, expressed profound appreciation to the foundation, describing the donation as timely and invaluable.
She said the gesture had brought joy to both teachers and students, while assuring the donors that the furniture would be properly maintained and used for the benefit of the school community.
“Today is indeed a day of joy for Omu Boys Secondary School. We sincerely thank the Umu Nolue Foundation for remembering our school. We pray that God will richly reward everyone who contributed to this noble cause.
“We assure you that these desks, chairs and office tables will be put to proper use for the benefit of our teachers and students. We also hope that whenever we call on you again, you will continue to remember us,” she said.
Also speaking with journalists, the Delta State Coordinator of the Prof. Emmanuel Nolue Emenanjo Foundation, Mr. Ayakpo Agwamah, said the organisation was committed to bridging educational gaps and building brighter futures for young Nigerians through strategic interventions in schools and communities.
He explained that the foundation would continue to invest in educational initiatives that promote quality learning, encourage academic excellence and preserve the enduring ideals of the late Prof. Emenanjo.
The presentation ceremony was witnessed by the Chief Inspector of Education in charge of Oshimili North LGA from the Delta State Ministry of Education, members of the Omu Boys Secondary School Old Boys Association led by Pastor Solomon Eze, staff and students of the school, media practitioners, elders from the late professor’s family quarters in Ibusa and other prominent members of the community, who commended the foundation for keeping alive the values of service, scholarship and educational advancement for which the late academic was widely celebrated.
