Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), a Federal Government-licensed, Non-Profit Private University is a model which is unique in many ways.
It is located on 130 hectares of land at an altitude of over 1500 feet above sea level which ipso facto provides cool and ideal climate of learning and sports activities.
It is the only university in Nigeria, which prior to the issuance of provisional license by the Federal Government of Nigeria, moved to its permanent site and constructed magnificent College buildings and College Hostels, Staff Quarters and equipped with modern teaching facilities including E-learning platform and electronic boards within eight months.
Consequently, National Universities Commission (NUC) was so impressed that it described the university as a “miracle, model reference point and benchmark” for other universities.
It is the only university founded by an acclaimed educationist, the twice winner of the best Pro-Chancellor of all universities in Nigeria; A former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos; Chairman of Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigeria Universities and member of the Club of Rectors of Europe.
Colleges:
In founding the university, the purpose and objective of the Founder is to reform education in Nigeria by providing and leading others in quality education, service, industry and character as well as discipline. The university operates collegiate system and has five of such colleges. They are: College of Law, College of Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Engineering and College of Social and Management Sciences.
Besides, it runs pre-degree and degree foundation programmes in all the above-listed Colleges.
RECORD-BREAKING ACHIEVEMENTS
See SCORECARD on landmark achievements of the university including accreditation of all the programmes run by the university, infrastructural development, curriculum development, sports development, entrepreneurial development, community impact, innovation and unique programmes (Talent Discovery Programmes, International Office and Linkage and Research Industrial Park) authored by the university and acceptable to National Universities Commission(NUC), commercial agriculture embarked upon by the university, tourism development and collaboration programmes with UNESCO on solution to challenges to education in Africa South of Sahara.
Great institutions of learning the world over have been shaped largely by the vision and foresight of the founders. The decision of the founder to establish the University was the product of a conglomeration of factors including the personal experiences of the founder garnered in the acquisition of his own academic qualifications majorly by correspondence; the decay in the nation’s educational system; and decision of the founder, in realization of the fact that no government can single-handedly fund education, to answer the call by the Federal Government of Nigeria for private participation in the educational sector.
Aare Afe Babalola is a stickler for standard and discipline. He is a self-made man who believes strongly that nothing is impossible. Indeed, his autobiography is aptly titled Impossibility Made Possible. Aare Afe Babalola was for several years the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos and the Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities. In those capacities he observed first-hand, the myriad of problems troubling the University system in Nigeria such as cultism, poor infrastructure, poor work ethics, corruption, and legendary brain-drain. Afe Babalola University is therefore his model of what a University ideally should be.
The University is set up as a practical example of how problems militating against the growth of Nigerian Universities can be solved. The philosophy of the proprietor which is also sought to serve as a guiding principle and beacon to the University itself is to lead by example. In recognition of this, all efforts were directed at ensuring that the University began operations from its permanent site with permanent structures as opposed to the practice whereby Universities existed in name alone and operated from rented apartments or buildings with no infrastructure of their own.
Vision
The vision of the University is to lead education reform in Nigeria by providing a world class educational centre of excellence in academics, character, sports and vocational development.
This vision is guided by the need to produce professionals who are sound and agile. Through its academic and professional programmes, graduates of the University will emerge as people with professional skills and become business owners thus assuring each of them a job after graduation.
The Proprietor dreams of leaders and achievers who would be self-reliant, kind and generous, considerate and sportsmanlike. His guiding principle that it pays most who works hardest shall be taught, applied and practiced religiously. Students shall be made to believe in the golden rule that no matter ones background, nothing is impossible; and with hard work, one can make it to the top.
In form and structure, Afe Babalola University is conceived as a citadel for the promotion of an authentic learning environment that puts intellectualism at the center of its tradition. The temperament of universality and excellence shall be imbibed and shall be evident at every level of academic decisions-making in all colleges and departments of the University.
This vision is in line with the policy of the Federal government which encourages public-private partnership. The Proprietor has deployed his vast contacts in business and professional circles to muster support for the fulfilment of the vision.
Mission
Afe Babalola University is a result-oriented institution for producing highly skilled and socially relevant graduates capable of applying scientific knowledge for the resolution of social and technological problems. The University is equally committed to transforming students into expert thinkers, innovative managers and resourceful technocrats in all fields of learning.
The context of the university is morally and spiritually holding, with a stable academic calendar, a fully-stocked library, state-of-the-art laboratories and an excellent road network. The university’s mandate is to pioneer total excellence along the parameters of teaching, research, performance, sports, community impact and scholarship.
The promoter of the University strongly believes in the production of graduates who appreciate the value of the dignity of labour and who are problem solvers, self-reliant, employers of labour, highly productive and globally relevant in every sphere of human endeavour.
The University will inculcate and foster certain core values which include industry, service, integrity, discipline and good character. It will compare notes and share experiences. It will also be ready to twine and collaborate with relevant tertiary institutions around the world. The collaboration, which will be mutually beneficial, will extend to Research Centres, all Higher Institutions of Learning, International Organisations, Institute of African Studies, and Corporate Bodies, in Europe, The United States, North, Central and South America, Asia, the far East Australasia and the Pacific.
The Afe Babalola University will be given a truly global and international outlook and status, and its realm of influence will spread to the entire world. Collaboration will be sought in the areas of Programme Development, Curriculum Studies, Staff Exchange, Purchase of Equipment and Materials, a Year Abroad for Students, Library Twining and Summer Programmes. The University shall lead education reform in Nigeria by example.
