The Office of Advancement was an initiative of the 5^th substantive Vice-Chancellor, Professor O. B. Oyewole in year 2013 as a Unit under the Office of the Vice-Chancellor. It was designed for strategic and integrated management of life long relationships of the University’s constituency and sourcing of additional funds to meet both capital and recurrent expenditures of the University. The office is also expected to manage the relationship of Alumni relations at various levels.

The Unit is made up of four distinct arms;

1. External and Alumni Relations;
2. Fundraising, Marketing and Development;
3. Database and Information Technology;
4. Administrative Unit.

The four arms are expected to build support for the University core values of Teaching, Research and Community Services

Objectives

In almost three decades of history, the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta has relied heavily on grants from Federal Government. But with the growing need for increased funding, we realized that Federal Government funding cannot sustain the vision of attaining world-class status. Donations from a growing number of Alumni of the University, friends of the University, organized private companies, neighboring communities, and foundations that endorse the University’s mission of excellence will further enhance the University’s march to our dream of a world-class University and Centre of Excellence status. The Office of Advancement was established with the following objectives

1. Generate an extraordinary level of support for the University strategic goals and priority
2. Provides a platform for our Alumni to join our course as we look into the future with a resort to sustain and build upon the efforts of the founding fathers of the University
3. Maintain ties between graduates of the University and their alma maters
4. Establish good relationships with the stakeholders of the University namely; friends of the University, neighboring communities and private organizations that could be of help to the core values of the University.
5. Manages gifts and endowments to the University through the process of recording and applying them appropriately
6. Ensure that donated monies get to the accounts they are meant for.

Vision

To be an enviable office for maintaining perpetual relationships with the University’s constituencies.

Mission

To promote and develop support for the University through constituency relations and fundraising.

Services

The office of Advancement renders the following services;

1. Strategic projects: These projects will include lecture theaters, blocks of classrooms, student hall of residence, laboratory, library building and staff quarters.
2. Academic Materials: these include interactive whiteboards, computers, books, journals and other library materials.
3. Professorial chairs: Endowments are needed for the University to institute professorial chairs to support the engagement of professors to conduct research in the areas of interest of donors.
4. Research Grants: Donations are required to fund research in the donor’s areas of interest.
5. Prizes: Endowment for award of award prizes to best students in various disciplines as decided by the donors the purpose of this old practice is to reward academic excellence
6. Staff Endowment Scheme: Staff of the University as major shareholders can contribute to the endowment programs of the University through structured deduction from the source over a period of time. Lump-sum payments for endowment are also welcome.
7. Alumni Give-Back: these are donations made by alumni of the University in the spirit of giving back to one’s roots to support the developmental efforts of the University.

General Functions

1. To develop and implement appropriate communication and public relations strategies to aid the profile of the University to key stakeholders
2. Organize series of activities to present the University’s success and fundraising priorities
3. Maintain productive relationships with both established and prospective donors
4. Work towards the achievement of fundraising goals of the University
5. Ensure life and profitable investment of funds received from donors and employment of the proceeds towards the various developmental effort they are meant for
6. Co-ordinating all endowment activities of the University at College and Department levels