Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has been recognized as the best university in Nigeria for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, and 2024) by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. The university’s founder, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), announced this achievement at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti over the weekend.
ABUAD was also ranked first globally for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy, with a score of 98%, and for Outreach Programmes, scoring 98.2%. Babalola emphasized that embracing quality education is crucial for addressing the numerous challenges Nigeria faces, such as economic instability, poverty, banditry, extremism, religious bigotry, and tribalism.
The elder statesman urged Nigerians to adopt the comprehensive and innovative education system practiced at ABUAD, highlighting its role in the university’s success. He attributed ABUAD’s achievements to its rigorous curriculum and stable academic calendar, which have contributed to its rise in global rankings. In the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, ABUAD is the fourth-best university in Africa and 142nd globally.
Babalola expressed his gratitude to the university’s staff for their dedication and hard work, which have been instrumental in ABUAD’s recognition. He encouraged them to continue striving for excellence to maintain and improve the university’s standing.
The Vice-Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, commended Babalola for his efforts in revolutionizing the education sector in Nigeria. She assured that the university’s management and staff would continue to honor the founder’s vision by working towards making ABUAD one of the top 100 universities globally.
“Our role in the educational sector is to transform the system by doing things excellently and uniquely,” Olarinde said. “We have achieved national and global excellence through impactful education and training, not just for degrees, but also in character and industrious molding.”
Since its inception 15 years ago, ABUAD has consistently ranked high in global evaluations, including the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and assessments by Nigerian government agencies. The Vice-Chancellor expressed confidence that ABUAD would continue to climb the global rankings, aiming to be among the top 100 universities worldwide in the near future.
