From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has joined the league of 100 best universities in the world.
The institution’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olasupo Ijabadeniyi, disclosed this to newsmen at a press conference held in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at the weekend, where he said the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings announced the development in its 2025 report.
He further disclosed that ABUAD has also been ranked 3rd in Africa and 1st in Nigeria for four consecutive years: 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025.
The acting VC said the global recognition was a dream come true for the proprietor of the university, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), in his lifetime. He revealed that the founder a few years ago said, “My wish, my hope and prayer is that this university must, in my lifetime, be recognised by the international body as one of the best 100 in the world. So, I still have a lot of work to do to bring this dream into fruition.”
The acting VC, who said that the 15-year-old university has been making headlines since its establishment, having navigated its way to the very top in the comity of universities nationally and internationally, attributed the achievements to the resilience, hard work, and Frankenstein leadership of the founder.
He also ascribed the feat to the tireless efforts of the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, and the commitment and dedication of staff as well as the cultured and ever-obedient students.
According to him, the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings of ABUAD are as follows: No. 84 in the world, No. 3 in Africa, No. 1 in Africa in SDG 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy) with a score of 83.3%, No. 1 in Africa in SDG 13 (Climate Change) with a score of 83.1%, No. 2 in Africa in SDG 1 (No Poverty) with a score of 87.9%, No. 3 in Africa in SDG 17 (Partnership for Goals) with a score of 92.4%, No. 1 in Nigeria for four consecutive years: 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025.
He continued, “No. 1 in Nigeria in SDG 1 (No Poverty) with a score of 87.9%, No. 1 in Nigeria in SDG 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy) with a score of 83.3%, No. 1 in Nigeria in SDG 13 (Climate Change) with a score of 83.1%, No. 1 in Nigeria in SDG 17 (Partnership for Goals) with a score of 92.4%.”
Ijabadeniyi said many factors contributed to the institution’s success story, some of which include: “The only fully residential university in Nigeria today, the first university in Nigeria to commence academic work on its permanent site, the university is reputed for having a serene and conducive learning environment, the university has students from all 36 states of the Federation, including the FCT, it also has students from some foreign countries, it has a well-planned landscape which enables seamless movement of students from the college areas to their hostels and facility areas, well-equipped modern laboratories and workshops as a result of which the Nigerian Society of Engineers acknowledged our College of Engineering as the ‘Template for Engineering Education in Nigeria’.”
Continuing, he said, “Full accreditation by NUC and professional bodies in all 44 programmes, including programmes in Engineering, Law, Medicine and Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Sciences, as well as Social & Management Sciences, ABUAD has the most advanced computational platform for drug design & research in Nigeria, it is mandatory for ABUAD students to obtain additional professional certification in Banking, Accounting, ICT, Marketing, ICAN, Computer Science, Engineering, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, and Arbitration while pursuing their undergraduate degrees, it is mandatory for ABUAD students to have a certificate of proficiency in one modern foreign language (Chinese or French) with a scholarship to study in China.”
He added, “The Institute of Government Research and Leadership Technology awarded ABUAD the Best Law Faculty Award in 2012, compulsory evening classes for students between 7–9 p.m., dress code for both students and staff (this is being emulated by other institutions of higher education in the country), regular and uninterrupted power supply from the university’s Independent Power Plant (IPP), which was commissioned on Monday, June 21, 2021, a university dam which ensures regular supply of water, predictable and stable academic calendar which enables students to graduate on time, a functional planetarium where all fresh students engage in space studies compulsorily without paying any fee. On account of the quality of education we offer in ABUAD, many of our students are offered direct admission to pursue their Ph.D. degrees without going through a Master’s programme.”
He said other things that contributed to the outstanding milestone are: “ABUAD has been encouraging Nigerian youths to return to the farm, by reducing the school fees for students studying Agriculture by 50%. In addition, it gives seed money of N250,000 to every graduate in Agriculture from the university to start his own business upon graduation.
“Youth Empowerment Scheme, under which the university has trained over 1,000 youths and expended N186 million, while it has doled out the sum of N49,103,875 to people under the Entrepreneurship Scheme.
“A 124-unit Industrial Research Park designed to harmonise university education with industry, provide quality and functional education, provide opportunity for hi-tech scientists, innovators, inventors, geniuses, research, community service, stimulate economic development, and provide employment for university graduates, professionals, and artisans.
“The ultra-modern 400-bed ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, which leading healthcare stakeholders have acknowledged as the ‘most well-equipped hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa’.”
Expressing delight at the historic milestone, he said that the university will not rest on its oars but will continue in its determined effort to institutionalise quality and functional education and raise a new generation of transformational and impactful leaders in Nigeria and beyond.
He used the occasion to appeal to the Federal and Ekiti State governments to complement the efforts of Babalola and consider the reconstruction of Ado-Ijan Road and ensure the functionality of the Ekiti Cargo Airport.
“The role played by Aare Afe Babalola in the maintenance of the stretch of Ado-Ijan Road from St. Paul’s Church to this university between 2009 and 2019 is in the public domain.
“The same goes for the Ado-Ekiti Cargo Airport, where he has invested billions of Naira to make it functional.
“The maintenance of Ado-Ijan Road and the functionality of the Cargo Airport is certainly beyond his capacity, bearing in mind the quantum of projects he has embarked upon in the overall interest of the state.
“Because of this, the time has come for both the Federal and Ekiti State governments to see to the immediate reconstruction of the Ado-Ijan Road and the completion of the Ado-Ekiti Cargo Airport.
“If the university is more accessible, it will attract patronage from both local and international audiences, as a result of which it would win more laurels for the state and the nation at large.”