His Excellency President Brig. (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio on Monday 18th July, 2022 commissioned the Tunde Cole Building at Fourah Bay College (FBC), a massive modern learning facility that will add to lecture rooms and provides auditoria that are equipped with technology to maximize learning outcomes.

The benefactor and philanthropist, Alhaji Ing. Mohamed Babatunde Cole, funded the four-storey edifice with two 170-person auditoria equipped with smartboard and projectors for video/web conferencing and online content deliveries; six additional virtual learning-ready lecture and conference rooms; and comprehensive WiFi coverage throughout the building. These facilities will serve as remote and hybrid learning hubs at the University of Sierra Leone (USL) for years to come.

According to Alhaji Ing. Mohamed B. Cole, the edifice was constructed out of love for his Alma Mater, noting that he knew the USL had constraints with lecture rooms when he attended it 190th anniversary, where speakers and college authorities asked for various support from the general public.

“It is not what you can do for this Alma Mater but what you can do for Sierra Leone,” the philanthropist said, adding that education is not cheap and that the government alone cannot fund it.

Ing. Mohamed Cole thanked President Bio for formally commissioning the building as his contribution to the government’s flagship programme - the Free Quality Education.

He also thanked his beloved family, the architect, the Centurion Construction Company, a locally owned firm, and all those who gave him support to put up the structure.

It could be recalled that this is not the first time the philanthropist has contributed to nation building as evident by his numerous contributions to development programmes n the Aberdeen Community, other communities in the Western Urban and even beyond.