A 350-seater Computer-Based Test (CBT), Science and Technology Centre has been commissioned at Ansar-Ud-Deen Islamic Secondary School, Otun-Ekiti, while work has begun on a new Science and Technology Laboratory Block.
The projects are expected to expand access to digital examination facilities and practical science education for students in Otun-Ekiti and surrounding communities.
Hon. Ibrahim Kunle Olanrewaju, National Organising Secretary of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria and an alumnus of the school, played a central role in bringing the projects to the institution through his links with the school’s alumni and private investors.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by the National President of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Prince Mosediq Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, who also laid the foundation for the laboratory block.
The newly commissioned two-storey CBT Centre has 350 computer stations, allowing candidates to take examinations at the same time. It also has a wireless internet network, CCTV surveillance and an independent power system built around 90 solar panels and six 12kVA lithium batteries.
An 80kVA diesel generator provides additional backup for the facility.
The centre was conceived by the school’s alumni as more than an examination venue. Its design also allows students to receive practical digital training, while the facility can generate income for the school through the use of its CBT infrastructure by external candidates and organisations.
However, the scale of the project required funding beyond what the alumni could independently provide. Olanrewaju and other alumni subsequently facilitated a partnership with private investors, who funded the construction and equipment of the centre.
Under the arrangement, the investors will recover their investment over an agreed period before transferring ownership of the facility to the school.
For Hon. Olanrewaju, the projects carry a personal connection to the school’s history.
The foundation for the new Science and Technology Laboratory Block was laid as a donation from the family of his late parents, Alhaji Mohammed Olanrewaju Uthman and Alhaja Fausat Aduke Olanrewaju.
The project also reflects a family story that dates back to Olanrewaju’s secondary school years.
His mother had wanted him to study medicine, but his father insisted that he attend Ansar-Ud-Deen Islamic Secondary School, Otun-Ekiti. At the time, the school did not have the science laboratories needed to support students interested in science-based careers.
The new laboratory block is intended to address that gap.
When completed, the facility will provide laboratories for Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Agriculture and Vocational Studies. It will also include administrative offices and other supporting facilities.
The project is scheduled for completion before the end of 2026.
Stakeholders at the ceremony praised Olanrewaju for using his position within the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society and his relationship with the school’s alumni to attract investment to the institution.
The projects also point to a wider role for the school within the community. With a dedicated CBT facility and purpose-built science laboratories, students will have greater access to digital examination infrastructure and practical learning without having to depend entirely on facilities outside the town.
For a school whose students once studied science without laboratories, the new block represents a significant change in what is available to the next generation.
The CBT Centre and laboratory project now place Ansar-Ud-Deen Islamic Secondary School, Otun-Ekiti, in a stronger position to support students preparing for examinations, pursuing science-related disciplines and developing skills for an increasingly technology-driven economy.
