ABUAD: Product of excellent vision, creative thinking

abuad-product-of-excellent-vision-creative-thinking
•From left: Adetunmbi and Aare Babalola

By Seye Adetunmbi

 

It was a well spent day with the 91-year-old Aare Afe Babalola, Founder Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). It was not my first time with him at the phenomenal ABUAD community. As a matter of fact, my first time was in 2015 when he sponsored the hosting of Ekitipanupo 2nd Public Lecture delivered by Emeritus Professor Michael Omolewa. I have also been there on his invitation to other events in ABUAD including the formal commission of the huge Teaching Hospital Complex. What made my courtesy visit of July 15 different is that it took me over two hours to be taken round the expansive frontline and unique private university in Africa.

I was particularly overwhelmed seeing the rich large farmland of integrated products and various agro-allied factories. Tree crops include fruits (mango and cashew plantations with a juice processing plant), orogbo (bitter-cola); moringa plantation complemented by a factory where moringa cream, soap and integrated herbal supplements are produced; food crops – maize,

As someone passionate about agriculture and commercial farming, it was an amazing experience for me. The farm had gone bigger and more robust than my last visit in 2015, the tree crops I saw in their early stages have grown and started bearing fruits. In addition to the vast cultivated land is a sawmill and a furniture making section. ABUAD is now set to generate its own electricity, I saw the recently commissioned place dedicated for the plant. I must also mention the feed mill for the poultry and Youth Empowerment Centre where young people are trained to acquire skill in various vocations with residential facilities. The latest addition to the unequalled strides of Baba Afe is the cleared large area for ABUAD Industrial Park. The college of postgraduate studies has a separate entrance gate with everything needed to function in their section without being exposed to the restrictions associated with the undergraduate campus.

After posting my courtesy visit picture on my social media handles with an intro on my tour of ABUAD community, it generated a lot of comments from a wide range of people.  According to Sir Kayode Otitoju:”Baba Afe Babalola is a special case study in determination and resilience.Remember that his dream of establishing a university only came up after turning 70 years of age! See him still standing erect and agile besides you at 91! May God grant him many more years in good health and everlasting happiness. May we his prodigies be so blessed too.”

To Princess Durojaiye Ojo, who was privileged to work with Baba Afe Babalola for the creation of Ekiti State, recalled that the late Chief Ogundele, owner of Davies Hotel at old Bodija in Ibadan, Oyo State was Chairman and Chief Mrs Bodunde Aduloju was Secretary. Baba Afe is a blessing to Ekitiland and to humanity. ‘’May Almighty God continue to grant our blessed Baba long life and good health, Amen.”

But Mr. Tayo Popoola sees the education and empowerment contributions of Aare Afe Babalola as part of his legacy.

“The contributions of Aare Afe Babalola to improving the quality of education in Nigeria is worthy of note just as his efforts at empowering his community and young Nigerians with agricultural skills. May God reward his efforts with great success. The man is living his life as a legacy of philanthropy for our men of means to emulate if only they will learn from his good example,” he added.

Baba Afe is certainly in a class of his own! The way he is on top of ABUAD affairs and all his other businesses as a nonagenarian, is confounding! Another remarkable dimension to all his exploits is his uncommon philanthropic disposition with a distinct milk of kindness. He continues to give without ceasing to people in need and the society. He encourages hard working people in their respective vocations by supporting them with his substance at every opportunity. In the Nigeria of today, he  is one of the few exceptionally blessed citizens who speak the truth to the government of the day on constructional matters, wrong policies, security and other disturbing issues of global concern.

I have since come to the conclusion that Baba is a gift to mankind. The long life God has granted him with a rare good health at old age is for a purpose and a special grace. He is a blessing to us in Nigeria and I am extremely proud that he is a fellow Ekiti man. You only have a very few of such phenomenon in a generation. It would amount to an understatement that I admire his accomplishments a lot.  ”Ki Oluwa lo ra emi fun won. K’eku wi un ba ni, urin a mu. Ajinde ora a aje l’ase Edumare”. Aare Afe Babalola is an elderstatesman of substance who inspires me and many others a great deal. Keep up the good job sir.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required

Intuit Mailchimp