Abuja, Nigeria — The vision for the proposed FortLugard University, championed by Principal Partner at Dr O.J. Onoja, SAN & Associates and CEO of Bar and Bench Publishers, Dr Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, took a decisive leap forward on Friday as leading figures from Nigeria’s legal community converged on the institution’s permanent site in Apo for the groundbreaking of two flagship academic structures. This event doubled as the Bar and Bench family’s annual Thanksgiving ceremony.
In a moment heavy with symbolism, former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen (Rtd.) laid the foundation stone for the University Senate Building, while that of the Faculty of Computer Sciences was performed by the Minister of Special Duties, Hon. Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo, represented by the ministry’s Director of Finance and Administration. The dual ceremony marked one of the university’s most consequential milestones to date.
Justice Onnoghen, delivering a warm and personal tribute, described the university’s founder, Dr Onoja, SAN, as “my adopted first son,” praising his humility, stamina, and “clarity of purpose” in driving a project he called both courageous and urgently needed.
Also speaking at the event, Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko (Rtd.) applauded the initiative as an “uncommon stride” toward building a world-class institution, offering prayers for divine strength to carry the project to completion.
Former Managing Director of Ajaokuta Steel Company, Engr. Sumaila Abdul-Akaba echoed those sentiments, stressing that the university’s true achievement would lie in long-term sustainability, ensuring the institution outlives its founders and becomes a generational asset.
Representing the Minister of Special Duties, the Director of Finance and Administration conveyed the minister’s apologies for his absence, offering prayers for the swift and steady rise of the budding institution.
One of the most emotional tributes came from Dr Jumai Ahmadu, Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), who referred to Chief Onoja as “a brother in whom I am well pleased.” Recalling their days at Community Secondary School, Ofante, she urged attendees to remain steadfast in their aspirations, declaring that “a nobody today can become a somebody tomorrow.” She pledged full collaboration to ensure the university’s vision is faithfully realised.
In his remarks, Dr Onoja expressed gratitude to the dignitaries, reaffirming his commitment to building a university that will serve as a national hub for innovation, scholarship, leadership development, and moral grounding. FortLugard University, he said, is designed not merely as another campus, but as “a transformational institution built to transcend the traditional boundaries of teaching and learning.”
With the foundation stones now set, the upcoming FortLugard University stands a step closer to becoming one of Nigeria’s next major centres of academic excellence—an ambitious dream steadily turning into brick-and-mortar reality.
