Written by By Neta Nwosu on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 || Published by Daily SUN
“The name, Afe Babalola struck me positively and triggered in me a sense of trust and confidence. There is no way the enviable personality trait and the profound qualities of Aare Babalola’s professional life would not rub off on the educational standards and culture of the university. Already that is perceivable from the human, material and structural resources on ground”
Admission fever is still on. University bound students who missed the dual opportunities of not meeting the merit cut-off marks for their courses; and the supplementary admission list are in a state of feverish anxiety. They are not alone in this frenzy. Their parents are equally worried.
My son and I are amongst those in this worrisome situation. His experience is particularly painful as he missed the merit cut-off mark by just one point.
His choice of federal university in the densest metropolis in the country where demand pressure has assumed frenetic dimensions is partly responsible for his predicament. Had he gone for one remote state university of agriculture or technology he would have been sitting pretty. Maybe our strategy was wrong. But the young lad is not deterred.
Few days ago, he sold me an option. The conversation went thus:
Son: Mummy, we just have to take another look at you and daddy’s suggestion that I should re-write JAMB.
Mummy: What is wrong with re-writing JAMB?
Son: I can’t stay at home for another whole year. It would amount to a huge waste of my academic development time.
Mummy: But you will be attending JAMB lessons and we would also engage you in a computer programme.
Son: Mummy, there are other alternatives. My priority for now is to start my Mechanical Engineering course in a good private university.
Mummy: Nobody is going to any private university in this house.
Son: Why?
Mummy: I don’t think they are well equipped in terms of quality infrastructure and professional lecturers. Moreover, the cost. The fees of private universities are on the roof. Where are we going to get that kind of money?
Son (pretended he didn’t hear my whining about huge fees): Mummy, Afe Babalola and Covenant Universities are very good. But I prefer Afe Babalola. There is also no religious segregation there.
Mummy: Who told you?
Son: I have been online for the past two days seeking information on the best private universities in Nigeria. Most comments favoured Afe Babalola and Covenant Universities. Their web-sites further impressed me unlike their contemporaries. Moreover, the massive structures I saw in Afe Babalola University and the profiles of the Vice-Chancellor, Provost of the College of Engineering and other staff can only be associated with a serious minded institution that has come to stay. Aare Afe Babalola is legal icon that would not want to jeopardize his painstakingly built career and impeccable reputation.
Mummy: What do you mean by painstakingly built career?
Son: Aare Afe Babalola is a self made man. The only formal education he has acquired so far was at primary school. All his other qualifications were obtained through private studies. Mummy, Aare Afe Babalola is a great man. I like him. Most importantly he is a scandal-free Nigerian.
My son’s submissions made sense. I didn’t need to drag the conversation further. The name, Afe Babalola struck me positively and triggered in me a sense of trust and confidence. It is indeed a good name. The biblical book of Proverbs, 22:1 states “A good name is better than riches”. I agree with my son; there is no way the enviable personality trait and the profound qualities of Aare Babalola’s professional life would not rub off on the educational standards and culture of the university. Already that is perceivable from the human, material and structural resources on ground.
The teenager also expressed his fears about the present state of our federal and state tertiary institutions and its effects on the students. His observations further justified his burning desire to switch over to a private university.
After all, some of our current learning environment and infrastructures are not conducive and encouraging. Most times, it takes even several years of JAMB examinations, just to secure admission into the university. Worse still is the incessant disruption of the academic sessions by labour disputes involving lecturers and governments which ultimately lead to strike actions. Combined, these factors create a difficult and frustrating academic experience for the student who is less likely to graduate as scheduled, if he eventually does. Together we convinced his father to explore the admission opportunities of his new found love.
On Saturday, October 23, 2011, my son and I in company of his friend, another disciple of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) and his mother stormed the institution in far away Ado-Ekiti. Afe Babalola University is a world of its own with a distinct quality learning milieu. Better described as the alluring magic of Ekiti State, ABUAD like an onyx contrasts sharply with the ancient city of Ado-Ekiti, standing out the ivory tower as a veritable touch-point that could easily stimulate educational tourism in Ekiti State.
We were stunned. The structures my son saw in the university’s website are real. There are even bigger and taller structures. Most striking is the College of Law. You could tell that Aare Babalola obviously displayed a dose of favouritism and passion towards this edifice of his preferred profession.
The auditorium, lecture theatre and classes that we had access to are of world-class standards, capable of offering better students learning experience, stability and good study infrastructure. The staff that attended to us including the Security team at the gate are well-spoken professionals to the core. At a point I thought I was in the corporate environment of a premium oil and gas company. The decorum exhibited by the self-confident staff is a far cry from the unjust aggressiveness some of us have suffered in the hands of unqualified personnel in some of our states and federal universities.
While the applicants were writing the post UTME, the founder of the institution, Aare Babalola exchanged pleasantries with the parents. His teams of corporately dressed staff were also on ground. Amongst them all, one stood out, a friendly fair – complexioned female. She offered utmost care to the needs of the examinees and their parents. My brief interaction with her revealed her identity as Mrs. Christie Oluborode.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Mrs.) Sidi Osho also gave a good account of herself. Immediately after the examinations she hosted Parents to a forum on the presentation of the University’s Mission, Vision, Courses and Facilities. Though she looks comparatively young for the position she occupies, the knowledge she exuded during her brief but skillful presentation left no one in doubt that she is the right peg in the right hole. So good was her presentation that I thought I was overseas listening to a foreign Vice Chancellor speak.
The name has not only defined the character of the school, it’s also serves as a good advertisement for the institution.
A metaphor for intelligence, dignity, excellence and quality graduates; the label, Afe Babalola appears poised to exert a decisive influence on the overall success of the University. A success story that would be sustained and bequeathed to future generations of young Nigerians that are hungry for quality university education.