— As 57 students bag first class out of 863 graduands

By Dayo Johnson Akure

The Vice Chancellor of the faith based university, Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun state, Professor Olasebikan Alade Fakolujo, has vowed to position the institution among Africa’s premier universities by 2030.

Prof Fakolujo, said that the university remained unique in the nations educational landscape not through ceremony and protocol but through substance, strategy, and measurable impact.

The Vice Chancellor who said this at a press conference, held at the institution to herald its 16th convocation ceremony, added that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, would deliver the convocation lecture entitled “Resilient Institutions, Responsible Citizenship: Strengthening the Social Contract in Contemporary Nigeria.

Out of the 863 graduates, 57 made first class honours, 323 in the second-class upper division, 2276 in the second-class lower division, 72 made third and two graduated with a pass.”

Speaking further on what makes the University unique, Prof Fakolujo said that it “represents not just Nigeria’s educational present, but its educational future.

“When people think about Nigerian universities, the narrative often focuses on challenges: underfunding, infrastructure deficits, brain drain.

“While we acknowledge these realities, at JABU we have chosen a different path, one that combines spiritual foundation with academic rigor, local relevance with global standards.

“First, our governance structure is our strength. Unlike many public universities constrained by political cycles and bureaucratic inertia, JABU operates with strategic autonomy under the Christ Apostolic Church (Nigeria and Overseas), while maintaining strict compliance with NUC regulations.

” This allows us to make decisions swiftly, whether it is launching new programmes like Data Science and Cyber Security, or repurposing buildings to meet emerging needs.

” We have mastered the art of strategic repurposing. In a resource-constrained environment, we do not just only build new structure, we transform the existing.

The Vice Chancellor added that “We believe that Nigerian solutions require Nigerian ingenuity, that is making more with less, and doing it excellently.

” We measure success differently. Yes, we celebrate academic excellence, 57 First Class graduates this year alone.

” But we also measure success by how many villages our students have served, through community engagement programmes; how many startups our entrepreneurship graduates have launched; how many patients our nursing graduates have cared for.

Our motto, “For Knowledge and Godly Service,” is not just words on a plaque, it is our operating system and DNA.

“Let me illustrate this with a concrete example: Last year, our Food Science and Technology students did not just study food preservation, they developed affordable vitamins fortified Breads that are now being eaten by students and also in the 12 communities around us.

“This is the JABU difference: we give knowledge that leaves the classroom to nourish communities, thereby neutralising nutrition insecurity issues in some parts of the state.

” We have cracked the code on private university sustainability. Many Nigerian private universities struggle with financial viability.

“At JABU, we have developed a three-pillar model: quality education as our core product, strategic partnerships for innovation (like our Google for Education partnership), and revenue-generating ventures through JABU Ventures.

“This model has allowed us to maintain academic standards while investing in infrastructure without compromising our mission.

” JABU proves that with the right governance, strategic vision, and community partnership, Nigerian universities can compete globally while remaining rooted locally.

“We’re building such an institution which is not for our generation alone, but for generations yet unborn. We’re not waiting for permission to become world-class.

The Vice Chancellor “We’re building Africa’s next-generation university through strategic partnerships, uncompromising academic standards, and infrastructure that empowers discovery.

Speaking on the convocation ceremony,he said that ” This year, we graduated 863 students, 722 undergraduates and 141 postgraduates. But behind these numbers are stories that define our institutional character.

” Our First Class graduates this year came from diverse backgrounds, children of subsistence farmers, market traders, civil servants, and even some who were the first in their families to attend university.

“At JABU, we do not just admit students; we transform lives. We have developed a robust tutorial system where senior students mentor juniors, faculty maintain open-door policies, and academic support extends beyond classroom hours.

“This is why 82% of our undergraduate students graduated with honours classifications.

“For the second consecutive year, our Medical Laboratory Science students achieved a 100% pass rate in professional examinations.

” But what’s more remarkable is where they’re going: 87% of our nursing graduates are now working in healthcare facilities across Nigeria, including underserved rural communities.

Prof Fakolujo, also, recalled a graduands, “Mary Ojone Amachi, our first recipient of the ₦5 million annual award from Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who overcame significant personal challenges to achieve a 4.88 CGPA in Mass Communication.

“Also, Blessing Temitope Agboola, this year’s recipient with a 4.93 CGPA in Medical Laboratory Science. These are the human faces of Nigerian excellence that the world needs to see.

Speaking on the 20th anniversary of the institution next year, the Vice Chancellor, said that the ” Governing Council already approved the establishment of “Joseph Ayo Babalola Centre of Excellence.”

” Also, our 20/30 Vision: academic Excellence Goals: increase postgraduate enrolment to 40% of total student population by 2030, establish three world-class research centres: Centre for AI Innovation, Digital Agriculture Lab, and Centre for Public Health Excellence

Achieve 95% honours classification rate for undergraduate students

Publish 200 peer-reviewed articles annually in high-impact journals.

“Global Positioning Goals:establish partnerships with 5 leading global universities,e nsure 40% of our students have international exposure before graduation,host at least one major international conference annually in each college, attract 15% international student enrolment from across Africa and beyond.