Aare Afe Babalola, founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has declared that his long-held ambition to establish a world-class university and hospital in Nigeria has become a reality.
Also read: ASUU Shuts Abia State University Indefinitely Over Unimplemented Agreement
Babalola made the declaration on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while speaking at the 19th International Conference of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology Nursing held at ABUAD in Ado-Ekiti. Head Topics
The renowned lawyer said the idea of establishing the university was shaped by his experience in Nigeria’s university system, particularly during his tenure as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos.
According to him, his experience at the institution exposed him to some of the challenges confronting Nigerian universities and strengthened his determination to create an institution built around quality teaching, modern infrastructure, well-equipped laboratories, discipline and practical education.
Babalola said the vision went beyond constructing attractive buildings, stressing that a truly modern university must provide students with qualified teachers, functional laboratories, appropriate equipment and an environment conducive to learning.
He expressed satisfaction that ABUAD, established in 2010, had developed beyond his initial expectations and that its accompanying 400-bed multi-system hospital had also grown into a major healthcare facility.
The university founder also highlighted the expansion of the ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, which began clinical operations in 2018. He noted that the facility had progressed from providing mainly diagnostic and emergency services to offering specialised treatment in areas including nephrology, cardiology, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, urology and ophthalmology. Head Topics
Among the hospital’s facilities are MRI and CT scanners, mammography, fluoroscopy, digital X-ray machines, bone densitometry, ultrasonography, echocardiography, treadmill testing and a cardiac catheterisation laboratory.
Babalola said the investment in healthcare was intended to help Nigerians access advanced medical services locally rather than travel abroad or to distant Nigerian cities in search of specialised treatment.
He further pointed to the progress of ABUAD graduates, saying many alumni have secured senior positions in different sectors while others have gone on to establish businesses and become employers of labour.
The founder attributed the development to the university’s emphasis on academic quality, practical training, discipline, modern facilities and a supportive learning environment.
Babalola’s latest remarks echo an ambition he expressed years earlier. In 2019, during ABUAD’s ninth anniversary celebrations, he recalled that he had embarked on the university project when he was almost 80, saying the institution had grown into the kind of university he had envisioned. Vanguard News
He has also continued to stress that maintaining high standards is as important as achieving them. In a 2026 address to ABUAD staff, Babalola described the institution’s vision of a world-class university as a living reality and credited its staff and students for contributing to its development. The Nation
The latest declaration therefore marks another milestone in the story of a university founded from Babalola’s stated desire to demonstrate what a Nigerian institution of higher learning could achieve with sustained investment in education, infrastructure, discipline and healthcare.
Leave a Comment