Founder, ABUAD, Chief Afe Babalola

The founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has advocated unified examinations for final year students in Nigerian universities.

Babalola said on Monday in Ado-Ekiti that the unified examinations would be for all final year students in every course in Nigerian universities.

Babalola, who spoke at the 10th matriculation of his university, said this was one of the potent weapons that could be used to engender quality education in the country.

He added that his university had partnered with the National Universities Commission (NUC)  to move the institution beyond the minimum standard set by the commission, saying this resulted in the records attained.

“I want to suggest to NUC and the Ministry of  Education that in order to maintain quality and high standard in Nigerian universities, the final year students in all programmes across all our universities should take the same national final examinations”.

“This way, every university shall work hard to ensure that their students pass the national examination, thereby ensuring high standards in teaching and learning. I am going to present a position paper to the Federal Government  on this and those with influence should join in pushing it”.

“What we have done here in ABUAD is education revolution. We have built new generation of Nigerians, I mean a new Nigeria. We are building students who are honest, morally upright and hardworking,’’ he said

Babalola commended  the educational regulatory bodies for acknowledging the revolution that ABUAD had  brought to university education.

Also speaking,  Justice Ahmad Belgore of the Court of Appeal, advised the matriculating students,  to play their parts and prove to the world that good things could  happen in Nigeria.

The Chief Judge of Ekiti, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, described ABUAD as a “centre of excellence” that had  produced  quality graduates  due to its  culture of academic and moral development .

In his address,  a former Executive Secretary of the NUC,  Prof. Peter Okebukola,  said the establishment of ABUAD had helped in stabilising and raising the bar of  quality education on the continent.

“For the university to maintain the present status, it has to think about the quality  and quantity of teachers being employed and students being admitted. So, the teachers’ attitude  to work matters while students reading culture is very essential. All these will affect the quality of performance,  research  and other variables,” he said.

ABUAD’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Michael Ajisafe, said the institution had brought a paradigm shift to university education  in Nigeria.

He urged the students to brace up in the face of  daunting challenges and excel in their academics  rather than being weighed down and dropping  out  of school. (NAN)