From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has matriculated a total of 1,961 students admitted for the 2023/2024 academic session to study various courses in the university.
In her address at the 15th Matriculation ceremony held at the Alfa Belgore Hall of the university on Sunday, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Smaranda Olarinde, said that the University is firmly committed to providing quality education for its students and will continue to invest in education to make sure that what it offers is at par with what students will get in top-notch universities in the world.
According to the VC, providing quality education is the vision of the Proprietor and Chancellor of the University, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, and the management and members of staff of the ivory tower have been working in line with his vision since its inception, the reason ABUAD has been waxing stronger and producing uncommon graduates.
She indicated that the role of ABUAD in the educational sector in Nigeria and Africa is to transform the entire educational system, and the school has been playing the role relentlessly by doing things in the excellent and uncommon way.
“With all sense of modesty and gratitude to God, we at ABUAD have achieved an enviable level of dexterity, expertise and knack for achieving excellence in the quality of the graduates we turn out. There is no doubt that you have come to the right place to receive quality, impactful education and training for your university degrees and character moulding in your individual pursuit of greatness.
“At ABUAD, we do not produce regular graduates. In a country where mediocrity, failure, corruption, poverty and excuse for backwardness are fast becoming the norm, it is a disservice for any higher educational institution, as endowed as we are, to produce the regular kind of graduates.
“Definitely not when the philosophical construct of our existence as a university was founded on the life and vision of a living legend, one of the greatest examples of humanity ever to grace this continent, our own Founder, Funder, President and Chancellor, Aare Afe Emmanuel Babalola, the Baamofin of Yoruba land!
“Our role in the educational sector in the country and in Africa is to transform the entire educational system. You do not transform something by doing everything the usual and the common way. You transform something by doing things the excellent and the uncommon way. We commenced academic operations at ABUAD approximated 14 years ago. In those short 14 years we rose from as it were nothing, to being ranked by a global body, the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking as Number One in Nigeria for two consecutive years ( 2022 and 2023) and Number 221 in the world. We literally have hundreds of universities in Nigeria, and thousands in the world.
“Why do we go to this extend to create the perfect environment for the education of our students? Definitely not because we want to be compared with existing universities in Nigeria. It is because we want our students to have the same quality of training and opportunities as their peers across the globe, in the United States of America, in United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and so on. It will interest you to know that we are continuously building strong partnership with the best universities around the world for added exposure for our students . Last year alone some of our students spent time at John Hopkins University, USA( the best medicine programme in the world) and at King’s College London, United Kingdom.
“Our Founder has spent, and is still spending to make sure that the quality of education and character moulding we offer in ABUAD is at par with what you will get at top-notch universities in the world. And is this working? Definitely. 100 percent! FFor instance, by being ranked Number 221 in world, out of over 7,000 qualified universities globally, ABUAD effective came ahead of several universities in Africa, in Asia, and even in Europe and in the United States! And, we are just starting! In few more years, and by the grace of God, we shall be talking of ABUAD being in the top 100 universities globally. We will not rest until we have achieved this goal!.”
Olarinde urged the students to collaborate with the university for them to fulfil their destiny.
“We unapologetically believe that every one of our students is a genius. Every one of you. And that with the right nurturing, the enabling environment, the passionate, expert faculty and staff, with your cooperation, discipline, focus and determination, you all could become genius before you graduate from ABUAD in few years from now.
“As your Vice Chancellor, my dear students. I am inviting you to walk with us, to collaborate with us in this journey towards fulfilling your destiny. All you need to achieve greatness is right here, here in ABUAD. So, remind yourself again of that greatness you are pursuing.”
She added, the Chancellor, Aare Afe Babalola firmly believes that ” the only lasting change that would change the world and would change the people is changing the mindset of the youths. My legacy is not in the buildings I have, not by the money in my account, but in these children, the students of my school.”