ESTABLISMENT OF "FRIENDS OF UNIMED FUND" BY THE UNIVERSITY GOVERNING COUNCIL
The University of Medical Sciences is a new University in Ondo City, Ondo State that is committed to achieving high excellence in medical education, service delivery and research. The vision of the University is to adopt world-class teaching, research and service delivery models, so as to attain the status of a veritable medical tourism destination for West Africans seeking sophisticated medical care within a short period of time.

At its Meeting of February 18, 2016, the Governing Council of the University under the able Chairmanship of Professor OO Akinkugbe MD, CON, NNOM, FAS- a renowned medical icon and visionary - decided to establish a "Friends of UNIMED FUND (FUF)" for the purpose of obtaining the resources to grow the University to attain its mission and vision statements within a short period of time. The objectives of the UNIMED FUF are twofold: 1) to build a multitude of friends for the University who will see themselves as joint owners, and therefore be willing to make regular contributions towards the development of the University; and 2) to manage the Fund in a transparent, effective and accountable manner for specific identifiable projects on research, service delivery and development of the University.

The idea is to generate a cohort of friends for the university who will make regular, small and determined financial contributions towards the implementation of specific projects in the University. It is not the size of individual contributions that will matter, but rather the number and consistency of the contributors. The goal of the University is to attract one million faithful friends who make annual donations of at least one thousand naira (N1000) each. This will amount to about One Billion Naira each year, enough to embark on major developmental projects each year for the University.

The Fund will be managed as follows: UNIMED Council has opened a Friend of UNIMED Fund Account at the First Bank Plc, which will be managed by High Chief Adeduro, a highly respected member of the Governing Council in collaboration with the University. Individuals wishing to be listed as "Friends of UNIMED" would be required to pay any amount (no matter how small or big) into this account, and obtain a receipt of payment. Upon presentation of the receipt (by email or text message) to the Endowment Relations Officer (FUF), a unique UNIMED receipt and identification card will be issued, and the name of the donor will be immediately written in UNIMED's White Book of Benefactors as a Friend of UNIMED.

Quarterly financial statements on the Fund will be forwarded to all Friends, and the account will be audited by external auditors appointed by Council on an annual basis. Only projects that have been duly approved by Council will be implemented under the Fund. Award of contract through the Fund will be based on open bidding and in accordance with existing national procurement laws.

Some of the benefits of being a "Friend of UNIMED" include the following: 1) inclusion in the roll-call and honours of Friends of the University that will be published from time to time; 2) mention as a donor in any project to be supported with proceeds of the Fund; 3) regular receipt of information about the University; 4) priority invitation to events in the University, including public lectures on health and survival issues; and 5) receipt of a Friends of UNIMED Broach that will be specifically designed for benefactors and friends of the University.

Additionally, friends of the university will be required to be true friends and supporters and be ready to make suggestions for the good management and progress of the University.

The Fund was formally launched in Ondo on Thursday July 7, 2016. FUF Abuja was launched Tuesday October 18, 2016

For further details and for receipt of bank payment receipts or cheques, kindly contact the under-listed:
Professor Abimbola Akintade, Director of Advancement and Documentation, UNIMED – Tel: +234 908 501 8707; Email: aakintade@unimed.edu.ng OR. bim_001@yahoo.com
OR
Ms. Princess Chukwu, Fund Raising Program Officer, UNIMED – Tel: +2348023023682 Email: pchukwu@unimed.edu.ng OR chukwu.princess@gmail.com

Mr. Adeyinka Adekalu, Ag. Registrar and Secretary to Council