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Vice Chancellor of Babcock University (BU) Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Prof. Afolarin Ojewole and ace broadcaster, Mr. Lekan Ogunbanwo, have charged staff and students to sustain the vision of the founding fathers of the Adventist College of West Africa (ACWA) and the university.
Both acknowledged that ACWA and BU contributed to grooming young Nigerians as ministers of God and graduates in different fields of endeavour.
Ojewole and Ogunbanwo, spoke at the 2026 (67/27) Founder’s Day Anniversary with the theme: “Founded on Grace, Building for Greatness.”
In his remarks, Prof. Ojewole, recalled that ACWA began on September 17, 1959, without sprawling campus nor imposing buildings. There were no thousands of students.
He added: “There was no Babcock University as we know it today. There were simply seven ministerial students. Seven. Seven young people who came to learn, to grow and to prepare themselves for service. There was faith. There was a vision. That small beginning has become a remarkable story.”
According to him, the Federal Government When the Federal announced Babcock University as one of the first three private universities in Nigeria, thus another important chapter began.
“Our certificate of registration, No. 002, was issued in 1999. And so, the little institution that began with seven students became a university that welcomed its first university intake of 1,006 students on September 13 of 1999,” he further stated.
“We celebrate the men and women who believed in this institution when it was still small. We celebrate the pioneers who worked when resources were limited. We celebrate the church leaders who carried the vision. We celebrate the faculty who taught generations. We celebrate the staff who kept the institution moving. We celebrate parents who trusted us with their children. We celebrate alumni who have carried the Babcock story across Nigeria and around the world.”
The vice chancellor expressed gratitude to the founding fathers and that God will continue to use Babcock University for the transformation of lives and service to humanity.
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Ogunbanwo’s lecture focused on resilience, impact and growth of ACWA and BU
The veteran Nigerian broadcaster and former Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Civil Service, spoke on “Measuring Impact, Gauging Growth: The Ilishan-Remo Story of Babcock University.” He highlighted the university’s resilience, transformative mission, and alignment with global sustainable development goals.
Ogunbanwo reflected on the university’s humble beginnings with seven students as the Adventist College of West Africa in 1959, its resilience through the civil war of 1967 – 1970, and the renaming of the Adventist Seminary of West Africa (ASWA) in 1975.
He emphasized the affiliation with Andrews University as a pivotal point that ensured sustainability and international recognition.
The ace broadcaster shared a personal testimony of a student he sponsored from a government-run remand home who, through Babcock’s nurturing environment, became a confident, independent young woman now preparing for postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom. This story, he noted, embodies the university’s mission of transforming lives.
He also celebrated the growth of Ilishan-Remo itself — from a rustic town to a thriving community — mirroring the university’s expansion and diversification of courses noting, “If the early pioneers could see what their work has grown into, they would bow in awe to God.”
Chairman, 2026 Founders’ Day Planning Committee, Prof. Folorunso Akande, described the celebration as a significant milestone.
His words: “Sixty-seven years of academic sojourn. Twenty-seven years of university status. These are not merely numbers on a calendar; they are a testimony to God’s grace and to the sacrifice, discipline, and diligence of all who have laboured to build this house of learning.”
He acknowledged past administrators, “who began with little but believed for much. We remember, too, the leadership that has carried this institution from a seminary college to a university now home to thousands of students.”
The highlight of the anniversary was a cultural display by staff from South South, South East, South West and the North.
