By Rotimi Ojomoyela

Afe Babalola, the Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has expressed his prayer and dream that the institution should be rated among the best 100 universities in the world in his lifetime.

Babalola disclosed this while reacting to the feat of the ABUAD Law Graduates, who recorded a 94% pass rate, 21 First Class, and 69 Second Class Upper Division in the just-released November 2023 Bar Examination.

A statement by the Director, of Corporate Affairs of ABUAD, Tunde Olofintila, over the weekend, said that Babalola congratulated the university community for keying in to his vision and dream of institutionalizing quality education and raising a generation of leaders in Nigeria.

Babalola said: “We started the university on a rather modest note with 240 students on January,4, 2010. But today, to the glory of God and through hard work, determination, and selflessness, as well as the cooperation of all stakeholders, particularly the parents, teachers, the regulatory authorities such as NUC, MDCN, the Council of Legal Education, NSE and COREN among others, we are adjudged to have done well.

“We can say without any fear of contradiction that we have overshot our expectations in the first 14 years of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, and this could be gleaned from some of our outstanding and milestone achievements thus far.

“But we are not resting on our oars. It is my dream, my hope, my vision, and prayer that this university will be rated among the best 100 in the world and before my very eyes.”

On his part, the Provost, College of Law, Prof. Tunde Yebisi, congratulated and commended Babalola for providing the enabling environment and the required leadership that propelled the rare achievement and the honour the 2023 Bar Examination has brought to the 14-year-old university, which commenced academic work on Monday, January 4, 2010.

Yebisi said: “We are immensely proud of this achievement and honour done to our institution. It is however, pertinent to underscore your role in making all these possible. Your visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence in education in general, particularly legal education, and your continuous support and encouragement had been pivotal in taking us to this apogee of success.

“Mid last year, you advised us to be in constant touch and if possible, visit our graduates at the law school to encourage them in their studies and help in any way with their preparation for the bar exams.

“I visited them twice for this purpose and some of my colleagues also made calls to them. Your interventions in this regard had proved very valuable.

“To the Mother-General of ABUAD, Yeye Aare Modupe Babalola, and our Vice Chancellor the ever-present Matriarch of the College, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, the entire staff of the College you tirelessly mentored, and impacted are grateful. Your efforts have ensured that the latent talents and potentials of our students blossomed and enabled us to maintain our enviable status of consistently being the college of choice in legal education in Nigeria.

“As we celebrate this achievement, we are inspired to strive for greater heights in future. We remain committed to providing our students with the highest quality education and preparing them to become outstanding legal professionals and leaders in their respective fields.

“Again, our dear Founder, we are grateful for your invaluable support. With your continued guidance and encouragement, we are confident that the College of Law of Afe Babalola University will continue to blaze the trail of Legal Education in this country and beyond.”

Recall that in 2018, ABUAD Law Graduates recorded 12 First Class and 65 Second Class Upper Division at the Bar Examination.