Catholic provinces pick firms for N500m seminary project

GEARED towards increasing capacity for its budding population, three Catholic Church provinces, Lagos, Benin and Ibadan have chosen building and civil engineering firm, Messrs SKI International Nigeria Limited and Urban Design Associates, as contractor and architect respectively for a seminary project.

The proposed seminary known as “St Albert the Great Major Seminary,” would occupy about 100 acres of land, expected to gulp N500 million.

Facilities in the structure located at Idowu Ofonran, Obafemi Owode in the diocese of Abeokuta within the Lagos ecclesiastical province, include Seminary chapel, library, administrative blocks, hostels, classrooms, clinic, hall, Staff quarters, kitchen and dinning block and sports and other recreational facilities.

Project Director of the seminary, Julius Olaitun said the first phase of the project would be completed in two years, as work had already started and that funds were being solicited for from members of the public.

He also explained that building of the seminary would be completed in two phases, with two departments able to hold a capacity of about 500 people, and operate under affiliation with a separate institution.

Speaking recently at a joint event, at St Leo parish, Ikeja, officiating priest and bishop of Ibadan archdiocese, Archbishop Felix Alaba–Job noted that the bishops in the three ecclesiastical provinces decided to establish a new seminary in the region to cater for the upsurge of those answering the call of vocation to God.

He pointed out that the two already existing major seminaries at Ibadan and Uhiele-Ekpoma are too heavily populated for effective teaching and learning.

According to him, “while SS Peter and Paul, Ibadan, has close to 500 students, while All Saints Uhiele-Ekpoma has about 400 students.” He expressed hope that the new major seminary would go a long way to decongest the existing ones to more manageable numbers.

He further charged an eight-man fund raising committee drawn from the three provinces, to go all out to sensitise and persuade members of the public to support the laudable course with their generous donations.

“You should look for both financial and moral support as you go about your assignment since both are very important for the speedy execution of the project and commencement of training in the Seminary within the next two years.

He commended the project planning committed set up in 2004 and headed by Msgr. John Aniagwu, as well as, the Project Director, Very Rev. Fr. Julius Abiodun Olaitan for their spirited efforts and commitment towards the realisation of the project.