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• As ABUAD emerges best varsity in Nigeria for 3rd time
From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has emerged the best university in Nigeria for three consecutive years, 2022, 2023 and 2024, by a global body,Times Higher Education Impact Ranking.
The founder of the university, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) disclosed this at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti, at the weekend, where he also said the university was ranked as number one in the world for Sustainable Development Goal SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy, outreach programmes with 98 percent and stewardship programmes with 98.2 percent.
This was as he noted that the myriad of challenges confronting the country, tanging from economic doldrum, to poverty, banditry, extremism, religious bigotry, and tribalism among others could be surmounted if quality education is embraced
The elder statesman advised Nigerians to emulate a complete and innovative education system, hard work, honesty and faith as continually exhibited by ABUAD, to have a better Nigeria.
According to Babalola, emulating these qualities had made the 15-year-old university excel tremendously in all its endeavours, including its emergence as the best university in Nigeria for the third consecutive time, fourth in Africa and 142nd in the world, as recently published in the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
He explained that the rise in ranking of ABUAD was not unconnected to its quality curriculum, stable and predictable academic calendar.
“We are here today to share some good news for the third consecutive year. Part of it is that our 15-year-old university has again been ranked as number one university in Nigeria, and number 142 in education generally, in the world.
“The above notwithstanding, our ranking position has changed significantly. The reason is because this year, our ranking has gone beyond the shores of Nigeria and, now global.
“This result constitutes a challenge to all Nigerians, particularly our universities. We are all aware of the economic doldrum that the country is battling with. I must stress that education is the panacea to all the ignorance, extremism, poverty, religious bigotry, and tribalism among other problems confronting the country.
“It is my conviction that if people can emulate the type of complete, innovative education system, hard work, honesty and faith, being exhibited in ABUAD, Nigeria would have been better for it.”
The founder expressed gratitude to members of staff of the institution for their relentless efforts in making sure that the university is reckoned with in the educational sector, urging them to continue to put in their best in the university.
“I encourage all members of staff to see our current ranking as a call to duty, so that apart from remaining number one next year, we will be number one in other areas, and number one globally in everything.”
Speaking on the development, the Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, commended Babalola for his doggedness at revolutionising the education sector in the country.
She assured that the management and staff of the university would continue to justify the founder’s huge investment, by working harder towards making the university one of the best 100 in the world.
“In ABUAD, our role in the educational sector in the country and in Africa, is to transform the entire educational system. It is the belief of our founder that you do not transform something by doing everything the usual way, you can only transform something by doing things the excellent and the uncommon way.
“We, at ABUAD, have achieved this enviable level of national and global excellence because of the quality of graduates we turn out, through impactful education and training, not only for degrees, but also in character and industrious moulding.
“We commenced academic operations at ABUAD approximately 15 years ago. In those short 15 years, we rose from nothing to being continually ranked high by the global body, the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking, and even agencies of the government in Nigeria.”
The VC added: “Out of thousands of qualified universities globally, ABUAD has always effectively come ahead of several other universities, both in Africa, Asia, Europe, and even in the United States. We are just starting.
“In a few 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.”
