The management of Lekki Gardens Group has announced plans to construct and donate a 200 room hostel to the University of Port Harcourt, in an intervention aimed at addressing the institution's student accommodation deficit.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Gardens Group, Richard Nyong, disclosed while delivering the keynote lecture at the close out ceremony, public lecture, and book launch held in honour of the university's outgoing ninth Vice Chancellor, Professor Owunari Georgewill.

Nyong, an alumnus of the institution, framed the donation as a personal commitment to giving back to a university that shaped his career.

"I graduated from this university. I have been a good friend to the ninth Vice Chancellor. I want to extend this friendship to the 10th Vice Chancellor with a 200 room hostel for the students," he said.

Speaking on the theme "Leadership and Giving Back Purposefully: Two Sides of the Same Coin of Impact," Nyong told attendees that genuine leadership is rooted in selfless service and a willingness to invest in others.

"Leadership is giving yourself in a way that moves people from where they are today to a future that is more desirable," he stated.

He urged lecturers and teachers to prioritise the transfer of quality knowledge to students, describing it as a fundamental act of giving back, and noted that meaningful contribution requires individuals to look inward at their origins and direct their resources toward causes they care about.

"Whether you want to lead or give back meaningfully, the first thing to do is to give yourself. Everybody can give of themselves," Nyong added.

Chairman of the occasion, Biobele Georgewill, commended the outgoing Vice Chancellor for the quality of leadership demonstrated across his five year tenure.

In his farewell remarks, Prof. Georgewill expressed gratitude to staff members, the Governing Council, strategic partners and donors, noting that their collective support defined his administration.

"When I came into this office, all of you promised that I would not walk alone, and five years down the line, you never let me walk alone," he said.