Afe Babalola to FG: Stamp out substandard educational institutions in Nigeria

Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola has warned against the growing number of illegal and substandard private universities in the country, appealing to the federal government to put an end to it.

Babalola called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to revisit its accreditation procedures and clamp down on illegal universities, noting that Nigeria deserves the best and should not tolerate substandard education in the interest of development and growth of the nation.

He spoke on Tuesday in ABUAD while welcoming the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) accreditation team to the institution.

The nonagenarian also urged government and public-spirited Nigerians to support credible private universities, lamenting that ABUAD had never received any major endowment despite its massive investments in infrastructure such as the industrial research park and the 400-bed Multi-System Teaching Hospital.

The elder statesman, who recounted his humble beginnings and passion for purposeful education, said ABUAD, which is worth over N300 billion, was established as a non-profit institution committed to excellence in teaching, research and community service.

He said, “ABUAD is a not-for-profit private university where nobody has shares. Whatever extra money is made is always ploughed back into the university. As of today, the valuation of the university is put at over N300 billion. When you go round, you will see for yourself: the hospital, the farm, the industrial park, the colleges and the serene campus.

“According to the World Bank, the three objectives of a university properly so called are: quality teaching, quality research and community service. We are proud that we have been excelling in all three parameters.

“Previously, the NUC used to insist on prior visitation to permanent sites of proposed universities before approval; they will look at the buildings, number and quality of teachers, among other parameters, before approval.

“There is a long list of illegal private universities in Nigeria today. I would like the NUC to seriously consider closing such illegal universities down and arresting their owners. This country deserves the best and should therefore not tolerate substandard education.

“What makes a man, and indeed the country, is quality and functional education. A well-educated person does not think about himself. Rather, he thinks about his neighbours and the society in order to make life better. That is exactly what ABUAD is doing through the instrumentality of ABAEX, Youth Empowerment Programmes and the various outreaches by our Multisystem Hospital.

“No government in the whole world can fund education for everybody. That is why in civilised countries, those who have the means established private universities which are supported by public-spirited people and the government.

“Since we established this place, nobody has endowed the university with any substantial amount, even parents whose children graduated from this university could not. I am using this opportunity to call on Nigerians to support quality and functional education.”

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Professor Smaranda Olarinde, described the MDCN visit as a critical step in the ongoing accreditation of ABUAD’s Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme.

She outlined the university’s journey in medical education since 2011, noting that ABUAD secured full accreditation for its MBBS programme within three years of inception, which, according to her, is an uncommon feat in Nigeria’s university landscape.

Olarinde said the institution had produced seven sets of medical doctors trained under a competency-based curriculum and supported by advanced facilities at the ABUAD Multi-System Teaching Hospital and its affiliate, the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti.

The VC emphasised that the programme’s design prioritises quality, ethics, community service and hands-on clinical experience.

She said, ” Our response, as a university, has never been to pursue numbers at the expense of quality. Rather, we have sought – and continue to seek – to demonstrate that with the right philosophy, governance, and investment, a Nigerian university can run a medical school that meets and even surpasses global standards, while staying firmly rooted in the health needs of its people.”

Olarinde assured the MDCN team of complete transparency during the exercise, stating that all required records, staff, students and facilities were available for scrutiny.

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