Penultimate Friday witnessed some reciprocation of commendation between the Founder and President Emeritus of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, and the visiting Professor of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, Prof. Sunny Iyuke.
Whilst Iyuke commended Babalola for his demonstrable selflessness and avowed determination to rework the perimeter and parameter of quality, functional and reformatory education in Nigeria, Babalola in turn lauded Iyuke for his thorough learning, enterprise, unalloyed commitment, forthrightness and his abhorrence for corruption which have combined to distinguish the academic of note of Nigerian origin in his flourishing academic career.
Specifically, Iyuke, who is also Head of School of Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering at Witwatersrand University, extolled Babalola for his unwavering commitment to give quality education to the present generation of Nigerians and even those coming behind.
Iyuke who spoke in a paper titled “Wealth Creation through Diversification and Transformation in the Education and Skills Development for the Petroleum & Petrochemical Sector”, noted that what Babalola has done in the education sector is the best any single individual can give in Nigeria, pointing out that if Babalola could sell choice properties around the world to establish a world class university, then Nigeria would be able to boast of many more quality citadel of learning like ABUAD in another three years “if we all go to government and industries as it is done everywhere in the world”.
According to Iyuke, who has published 228 articles in reputable international journals, Babalola has merely sown the seed of quality, functional and reformatory education whilst others need to plug in as Babalola cannot do it alone.
His words: “Baba has sown the seed of quality, functional and reformatory education, but others need to join him. The job has started, but we have to grow. We have to develop in content, in curricula and by having world class professors.
He commended the band of Nigerian professors who he described as being very good, resilient and vibrant and encouraged them to put what they have read in books and the benefit of all the examinations they have passed into practice in the overall interest of humanity.
The acclaimed Nigerian-born Professor of Chemical and Process Engineering then called for more and stronger collaboration between the academia on the one hand and all tiers of government and the Organized Private Sector on the other to drive education and academic (research) projects to make Nigeria a better place for all.
The Engineering egg-head, who has attracted over R.200 million in Research Grants, said: “If we work together and collaborate with industries like Shell, NNPC or Chevron among others, they will train our students and at the end of the day, all the parties, the students, the various universities and the companies themselves as well as the country will benefit from such collaboration as it is a win-win situation”.
Iyuke who came from South Africa to see the combination of magic and miracle that have been the lot of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), since its inception four years ago, added: “There should be stronger tie and collaboration between universities and the industries. We should not leave the government alone. We should support them to make things better in Nigeria. That is the way things are done to engender development everywhere in the world”.
In his response, Babalola thanked Iyuke for creating time out of his very busy international academic schedule to visit ABUAD and see things for himself.
He said if Oxford University could refer to ABUAD as a world class university within only four years of its existence, then there is every reason to be joyful and give glory to the Almighty God, promising that he will continually strive to ensure that the university remains relevant and in the forefront of quality, functional and reformatory education in Nigeria.
He commended Iyuke for thorough learning, enterprise, unalloyed commitment, forthrightness and his abhorrence for corruption, pointing out that is the combination of the above, together with a very conducive learning and research environment that have stood him out in his luxuriant and flourishing academic career.
He concluded that at the rate ABUAD is going, particularly with the top and internationally rated academics it has been attracting to the University; it will be the best research institution in the country in the nearest future.