ABUAD

Phenomenal ABUAD: Product of Excellent Vision and Creative Thinking

By, Seye Adetunmbi, 16/7/21

It was a time well spent on Thursday July 15th, 2021 with the 91 years old Aare Afe Babalola, the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). It was not my first time with him in the phenomenal ABUAD city. 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 front-line 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-colar); moringa plantation complemented by a factory where moringa cream, soap and integrated herbal supplements are produced; food crops - maize, feregede, cassava, yam, maize and too many green houses for vegetables, peppers 🌶, tomatoes 🍅; mushrooms: livestocks - poultry (adiye, awo), piggery, fish ponds etc. Some of their harvests are sold to Shoprite.

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 beating fruits. I was too happy and had to take some pictures to complement my essay and message.

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 can be trained to acquire skill in various vocations with residential facilities and have practical touch to their training.the latest addition to the unequalled strides of Baba Afe is the cleated 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 some of which are quoted thus:

QUOTES

“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. Well done Şęyę.” - Sir Kayode Otitoju

“My niece just graduated from the university but your description of the agriculture sector makes me want to visit now“ - Mrs Monisola Oloruntoba

“Visionary leaders are blessed with forsight, he is one of them“ - Olusola Ojo-Omoniyi

“That's awesome! Congratulations! An icon of our time. He is silently touching lives in the medical, academic, agriculture etc. May the Lord continue to strengthen and uphold him for the nation in Jesus mighty name, anen..” Sola Akeredolu

A very patriotic Ekiti man. I worked with him as a student's Unionist in Akure he was the Chairman of the Governing Council after the break of the Accord between the NPN/NPP in 1982. Very pleasant and very detailed when counselling. We are lucky to have him” - Femi Bobade

“I was privileged to work with Baba Afe Babalola for the creation of Ekiti State. Late Chief Ogundele, the owner of Davies Hotel in old Bodija Ibadan was our Chairman and Chief Mrs Bodunde Aduloju was our Honorable Secretary. Baba Afe Is a blessing to Ekiti land and to humanity. May almighty God continue to grant our blessed Baba long life and good health Amen” - Princess Durojaiye Ojo

“May he live more purposeful life for we his people to tap more from his fountain of knowledge” - Adesola Adewumi

God bless Baba richly and grant him good health Seye you have seen ,God will conquer for you. - Abiodun Akindahunsi

“Baba Afe is one in a million. Baba has a genuine love for Ekiti.” Bode Ajayi

“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. Thank you very much Okanlomo Eletolua for your sacrifice in documenting this.” - Tayo Popoola

“ I admire the man greatly, though never met him.” - Ayo Fadaka

“Olorun a tubo lora emi yin o Baba Afe Babalola. Amin. You have done beyond expectations for humanity.“ - Ayan Kolawole

Baba Afe is a gem any day - Prof Adesuyi Ajayi

“Baba Afe"s set up is a mini example of how a state, indeed, a country should be run. Awesome place” - Olu Aluko

UNQUOTE

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 elder statesman of substance who inspires me and many others a great deal. Keep up the good job sir.

Induction Ceremony of 43 Pioneer Medical Doctors of Afe Babalola University

On September 13^th 2018, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), the fastest growing University in Africa inducted 43 pioneer medical doctors; 8 of them graduated with distinctions, the equivalent of 1^st Class honours degree in order disciplines. This is a feat because ABUAD is the first university in Nigeria to produce such a 100% result of graduating students in the medical school within the first six and half years of its establishment as a front-line private university in Nigeria. It was a professional examination monitored by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and conducted by external examiners. The Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife was the Chairman of the occasion. The event was witnessed by Ekiti royal fathers, Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, and many other dignitaries. Congratulations to the graduating students, the Founder and Chancellor of the University, Aare Afe Babalola; the academic and non-academic staff of the great institution that remains the pride of university system in Nigeria.

ABUAD COMMISSIONED 400-BED ULTRA MODERN TEACHING HOSPITAL

Afe Babalola University commissioned 400-Bed Teaching Hospital in the Ado-Ekiti campus on October 20th 2017. The hospital is built on 60 hectares of land and consists of 9 blocks, the central block has five floors while the remaining eight have four floors each making total of 37 expansive floors. 

The formal commissioning ceremony was preceded by a lecture titled: The Place and Continued Relevance of Private Universities by Professor Peter A. Okebukola.

In order to give the teaching hospital complex an international touch in health care, teaching, training and research, ABUAD has entered into partnership with organisations which include:

• World renowned Abbot laboratories in conjunction with Afriglobal Diagnostic Services to provide modern laboratory equipment.
• Aster Hospital Group, Dubai and India is providing healthcare of international standard for which they are internationally acclaimed especially in surgery. To mark the commissioning, Aster will carryout 50 free operations.
• Project C.U.R.E. United States of America provided modern hospital equipment installed in the new ABUAD hospital.
• Naruia Export , India provided and installed five Modular Theaters as well as Pneumatic Tubes.
• JNC International provided CT scanners, MRI and other radiology and diagnostic equipment.
• Trigenesis India provided dry wall partitioning and cubicle track
• Protech Gas supplied medical gas and oxygen
• Adler England provided steam boilers
• College of Pharmacy, Howard University, USA will set up a joint pharmacy department and factory to manufacture drugs
• Bridge of Life (BOL) USA will supply kidney dialysis machine
• Care 4 You Association of Demark will supply equipment and gadgets
• Perfect 32 of India will supply, install and operate a modern dental centre in collaboration with other Nigerians and transfer advanced dental technology services to the country
• Manipal Hospitals, India will provide health care services of international standard

The teaching hospital complex was constructed with an accompanying Helipad for the convenience of patients being brought in from any part of Nigeria.




Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Ewi Ado and Alhaji ado Ibrahim

The objective of ABUAD Teaching Hospital is to bring quality health care of international standard to Nigerians at affordable cost and make ABUAD the ultimate destination quality health care delivery thereby reducing the quantum of foreign exchange Nigerians expend on medicare abroad in the short and long run.

Rear side view

Federal Minister of Health flanked by the surgeons from Dubai and India

Medical hostel, opposite it is the staff quarters

L-R: Oba of Efon Alaaye, Olojido of Ido-Ekiti, King Ado Ibrahim, Alaramoko of Aramoko, Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti & Seye Adetunmbi

Foluso Olaniyan

Mrs Folusho Olaniyan Becomes Chairman of Psaltry International Limited

Onetime Managing Director of UTC PLC, Mrs Folusho Olaniyan OON, has been appointed the Chairman of Psaltry International Limited (PIL), which was established in 2005. The company is the first to produce cassava based sorbitol in Africa and 2nd in the world after Indonesia. With an asset base of $20 million USD, PIL also produces cassava based glucose syrup while the Sorbitol plant is scheduled to be commissioned not later than the second quarter of 2020. The company runs an Outgrower farmer scheme of 3500 farmers 500 agripreneurs.

The new Sorbitol plant located in Odo Awaye Oyo state will be officially commissioned in March 2020. Sorbitol is a major raw material for toothpaste production,  while food grade starch is a raw material for seasoning cubes, beverages and medications. Psaltry is the major supplier to Nestle, Unilever, Nigerian Breweries, Promasidor

 Factory Capacity

 • 24MT per day sorbitol factory.

• 40MTper day food grade starch

• 20MT per day High quality cassava flour

 Waste Management

 The factory recycles cassava peels and pulp waste into pellets for powering wood boilers in the production factory. Other products of PIL include enzymize starch into glucose and hydrogenize glucose into sorbitol.

Mrs Folusho Olaniyan is the CEO of Contact Consulting Nigeria & Programme Director of Agrainnovate West Africa, She started her career in the food industry as a management trainee with A.G. Leventis Nigeria PLC. in 1988. As Head of Sales and Marketing, in 2005,she joined UTC Nigeria PLC and was appointed Managing Director/CEO in 2007;a post she held till 2013, when she collaborated with the Federal ministry of Agriculture and rural development  on the Agricultural transformation agenda, to pioneer the commercialization of cassava flour inclusion in bread and pastries.She set up Contact Consulting Nig. Ltd; a Market Research, Business advisory and advocacy, organization, focused on Agricultural value chain development and investments in 2013.

She has served as consultant/ market analyst to Partnerships In Niger Delta PIND project,  CAVA Cassava Adding Value for Africa; a Bill and Melinda Gates funded project, headquartered at the Federal University of Agriculture , Abeokuta, Nigeria , and as expert advisor to Dalberg Global advisors on the IDH Market study on commercial opportunities in agricultural value chains in Nigeria. Folusho also served as Business Development and Marketing Adviser to MADE (Market For Development in The Niger Delta), funded by DFID through DAI UK and as a consultant to Palladium Group United Kingdom, on the West Africa Food Markets Pilot Programme in 2016. She also served on the judging panel of the Rockefeller foundation Cassava Yield wise $1 million dollars Challenge set up in 2016 to promote innovation in cassava post harvest practices, as well as being a consultant to the World economic forum Grow Africa project in, on data assessment of maize , soya bean,and coffee sectors in Tanzania, Ghana, and Ethiopia.

She is a member of the project advisory council of BASICS-(Building an Economically Sustainable, Integrated Seed System for Cassava In Nigeria), a 4 year project (2016-2020) funded by Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Folusho is also a member of the Governing council of Ekiti state university Nigeria.

Her firm, Contact consulting Nigeria is the conference partner to Informa group UAE on the Agrainnovate West Africa conference and exhibition, which has been successfully run from 2013 to date. Contact Consulting Nigeria is founding partner to Nigerian Agricultural seeds council on the Seed connect Africa Conference and exhibition launched in 2017.

Folusho led the advocacy team on the AGRA $240,000USD funded policy reform project titled: Advocacy for the passage of the fertilizer control bill, the Nigerian independent warehouse regulatory agency bill, and the presidential assent to the Nigerian seed council Bill.,from October 2018 to January 2020. She has the responsibility for developing and coordinating the advocacy workplan for the project, in collaboration with the Nigerian economic summit group. The National seeds council bill was assented to by the President of Nigeria in 2019, and the fertilizer bill was passed by the Nigerian Senate also in 2019.

She also served as expert advisor to Dalberg Global development advisors in partnership with IDH The Sustainable Trade Initiative of the Dutch Government, on the Ondo state commercialization study on five high potential agricultural value chains: Cocoa, Oil palm. Cashew. Aquaculture, Vegetables in Ondo state in 2019. In October 2019, Folusho partnered with Ambidextrous UK to develop the Brands Basecamp Africa project, with the objective of nurturing talent, and teaching best practice, to help businesses meet local challengespertaining to segmenting consumer markets, shaping brands, and growing businesses through innovation and communication.

Mrs Olaniyan is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing UK, and a fellow of the Institute of Directors. She holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and a professional postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Cookham, United Kingdom. She attended the Johnston institute for responsible leadership at the University of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania for a certificate programme in organizational leadership in 2009.

She has attended two fellowship programs of the United States Department of Agriculture USDA, on Women in Agriculture, and snack food development at the Iowa state University USA between 2015 and 2017.A Cochran fellow of the United States Department of Agriculture USDA, Folusho is also a member of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, USA.

She is the current program Director of Agra innovate West Africa, an annual conference funded by Informa Group UK and UAE. Informa is the world’s largest publicly quoted exhibition company. The Agrainnovate agribusiness trade show and conference is an annual knowledge sharing and business partnerships/ deal making platform attended by 6,000+ visitors from over 20 countries across the globe. In recognition of Folusho’s contributions to the Nigerian food industry, she was awarded National honours of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in September 2014 by the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

FIIRO 2018 SUMMIT

Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Lagos hosted Stakeholders' Workshop in Lagos 25th - 26th April 2018 where Mrs Foluso Olaniyan OON, onetime CEO of UTC PLC delivered the keynote address. The theme of the summit was HQCF In Confectionaries: Techniques, Prospects and Economic Viability. The event was held at Akinrele Auditorium, FIIRO, Lagos
 

Mrs Folusho Olaniyan OON FCIM

She is the Chief Executive Officer of Contact Consulting Limited after putting 30 years fruitful career in food industry in Nigeria. Mrs Folusho Olaniyan OON nee Borisade is the Programme Director Agrainnovate West Africa, and a member of Project Advisory Council for BASICS (Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System) and onetime Managing Director of UTC PLC. She has earned herself a respectable voice on confectionery related issues as an authority in this specialized area in the Nigerian corporate world. The feat of UTC under her leadership over the famous maiden cassava bread production in Nigeria continues to trail her and earns her recognition among relevant institutions within and outside Nigeria. 

June 13, 2017