Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, don graduate 1662 students on Monday for their 12th convocation ceremony. The graduates include 1,485 first-degree holders and 177 postgraduate degree recipients.
During the ceremony, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; legal practitioner, Mr Damian Dodo; and the Serving Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, also receive honorary doctorates.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Smaranda Olarinde, talk about the economic challenges wey dey face Nigerian tertiary institutions. She say the country’s dwindling economy and naira devaluation don greatly impact tertiary institutions, making it hard for families to afford education and for institutions to sustain their operations.
Olarinde also complain about how private universities no dey benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Federal Government’s student loan, saying dis create unequal access to education. She appeal to the Federal Government to address the infrastructural deficit in Ekiti State, especially the Ado-Ijan Road.
The VC congratulate the fresh graduates and tell them to be at the forefront of providing innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to the complex problems facing the world today.
Afe Babalola, the founder of ABUAD, congratulate the graduates and advise them to be good ambassadors who strive for excellence. Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, also praise ABUAD for their contributions to human capital development in Nigeria.
