Everywhere across all civilizations, people express their emotions by the opening of their mouths in songs of praise and appreciation and the opening of their lachrymose glands by sobbing and crying. Some others burst into an orgy of singing, sobbing and crying when they are riled.
The former was the situation at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, on Friday, January 23, 2026, when the University’s Founder & Chancellor, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, LL. D (London), Fellow, King’s College, London, FNAE, opened a bouquet of pleasant surprises of enhanced salaries, allowances and other mouth-watering perks for his staff.
The early afternoon surprise by Babalola was a further affirmation of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s position on his age-long friend who he described in March 2024 as “a man full of surprises, a man who had lived by surprises, a man who has lived from one surprise to another”.
During Babalola’s surprise announcement that Friday afternoon, there were wild jubilation and spontaneous eruption of sonorous rendition of songs of appreciation by ABUAD Band, prime among which was: “Na our papa be dis oo, we no get another one, na our papa be dis oo”
As sartorial and dapper as ever, Babalola stressed his good news to his staff was a fallout of what the Federal Government recently agreed to be paying the staff of Federal Universities.
Even though Babalola, a two-term Pro Chancellor & Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, made it clear from the beginning that the Staff Congress was called to thank the staff and appreciate them for their stellar contributions to the university, he ended up being praised, eulogized, and appreciated and applauded for his most unexpected New Year bounty to the staff of his university.
Babalola profoundly acknowledged and thanked all categories of staff for their commitment and dedication over the years, which he said accounted for the bouquet of national, continental and global acknowledgments, endorsements and laurels which the university had continually won as a result of which it has become the toast of its peers, including those that are several decades older than the 16-year-old university.
The combination of all these has always been part of the reasons the university had always paid higher salaries and allowances to its workers.
His words: “You know as much as I do that structures alone and beautiful environment do not define a university. Rather a university properly-so-called consists of serene and decent environment, well-equipped laboratories, modern equipment, students who are disciplined, cultured and ready to learn, and quality faculty members”.
He added: “We thank God through you and our students that we have been able to meet all these parameters. These have made us the clear leader in the comity of universities not only in Nigeria but worldwide. For your information, on June 18, last year in faraway Turkey, The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (THEIRS) 2025 rated our University as No. 1 university in Nigeria for four consecutive years: 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, No. 3 in Africa, and No. 84 globally.
“This upward trajectory is the mark of excellence which was pursued with discipline and integrity and yielded measurable results. These were your collective efforts under the leadership of my Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, and the CMD of our Multi-System Hospital, Dr. Akinola Akinmade, and their commendable teams.
“You all keyed into my vision and we are jointly accomplishing ABUAD’s mission. While acknowledging your immense contributions, I wish to reaffirm that ABUAD values and appreciates its staff, my supporters”.
The elder statesman recalled that over the years, the university has introduced several welfare and incentive measures as tangible expressions of this appreciation. Such welfare and incentives include timely and regular salary payments since inception in 2010, annual staff awards and promotion for deserving staff, 40% tuition discount for staff and their children for academic pursuit at ABUAD, and sponsorship of academic staff for post-doctoral programmes within and outside Nigeria.
Others are contribution of 7.5% of monthly staff salaries to the National Contributory Pension Scheme by the university, while staff also contribute 7.5% to the Pension Scheme, sponsorship for Staff to Seminars and Conferences within and outside Nigeria, 30% discount on staff hospital bills at the Afe Babalola Multisystem Hospital.
Said he: “Recently the Federal Government released the reviewed remuneration package of academic staff of Federal Universities. In the same way, the Federal Government released the reviewed allowances for Health Professionals in Federal Public Service.
“The good news now is that I have directed the University’s Bursary Department to immediately commence internal alignment processes in this regard with effect from this month, January 2026.
Unlike the Non-Academic Staff who were not captured in the approved Government new salary for the Academic Staff of Nigerian universities, ABUAD Non-Academic Staff are not left out of Babalola’s New Year largesse.
In his words: “In addition, I have also extended the gesture to the Non-Academic Staff of this university, which was not captured by the approved Government new salary for universities academic staff”.
He reminded his staff that the vision of building a world-class university, one anchored on discipline, innovation, relevance, and global competitiveness, is no longer an aspiration. Rather, it is a living reality where they are active players.
His parting words: “History will remember that when the future of university education in Nigeria was at stake, a committed community of Scholars, Professionals and Administrators rose to the occasion and chose excellence over convenience”.
At the end of the Founder’s presentation, the capacity-filled Alfa Belgore Multi-Purpose Hall burst into songs of praises to God and appreciation to Babalola for his most altruistic gesture.
When it was time for questions and comments from them, the staff chorused in unison: “Ko s’oro (meaning we don’t have any question or comment). The Founder has spoken; we don’t have anything to add except to continue to thank and appreciate him for his large-heartedness”.
Responding on behalf of their colleagues, the Director of Drug Research, Prof. Olaposi Omotuyi, and the Director of Part-Time Studies, Dr. Ife Ajepe, thanked the Founder for always being mindful of the wellbeing and welfare of his staff, who he often refers to as his partners.
Both Omotuyi and Ajepe acknowledged Babalola’s gesture as a call to more duty and a catalyst that will encourage all to do more in their collective resolve to ensure that ABUAD remains the clear leader in the comity of universities nationally and globally.
•Olofintila is ABUAD’s Director, Corporate Affairs
