Daud Olatunji
Babcock University officially entered a new era of leadership on Monday, as Prof. Afolarin Ojewole was inaugurated as the institution’s President and Vice-Chancellor, pledging a people-centered, capacity-building approach that promises to transform the academic and social environment of the university.
Taking over from Prof. Ademola S. Tayo at the Babcock Sports Complex, Prof. Ojewole told the university community, council members, royal fathers, and other stakeholders:
“My mission is simple: Build People. Put their development ahead of profit, programs, or politics. Nurture servant-leaders. Transform lives.”
The pastor-scholar, whose academic background spans Estate Management, Religious Studies, Theology, Biblical Exegesis, and Ethics, emphasized servant leadership rooted in humility, grace, vision, excellence, and courage.
“We will foster intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual growth across our campus,” he said, stressing that people development would be the bedrock of his administration.
Prof. Ojewole outlined his administrative framework through the acronym GRACE, pledging a university that is Globally relevant, Research-focused, Adventist-rooted, Competent, and Entrepreneurial-driven.
“We will position Babcock as a benchmark for higher education in Africa and beyond, nurture innovation that tackles national and global challenges, and cultivate a skilled community that drives creativity, enterprise, and economic empowerment,” he said.
Highlighting student welfare and academic improvements, the VC promised a revamped admissions process, faster transcript turnaround, improved meal quality, and expanded opportunities for international student enrollment and faculty exposure abroad.
He also pledged to strengthen industry linkages, establish research commercialization initiatives, and create innovation hubs to turn ideas into impactful solutions.
On infrastructure, Prof. Ojewole outlined a bold facilities agenda, including smart classrooms, state-of-the-art research laboratories, renewable energy installations, and campus-wide recycling and sanitation systems.
“Our goal is a university that is digitally integrated, environmentally conscious, and spiritually anchored,” he said.
The inauguration echoed the valedictory reflections of Prof. Tayo, who recounted a decade of transformative leadership.
“What we commemorate today is the legacy of a community that has prayed together, sacrificed together, and worked together to lift Babcock University to new heights of integrity, excellence, and service,” Prof. Tayo said.
“Today is a celebration of God’s faithfulness and what a united community can achieve when driven by mission and vision.”
PLATFORM TIMES reports that Prof. Tayo’s tenure (2015–2025) saw remarkable digital, academic, and infrastructural achievements, including a 19-fold increase in internet bandwidth, expansion of CCTV coverage to 2,224 cameras, over 5,800 research publications, and ₦13.9 billion in major capital projects.
He also strengthened Babcock’s global footprint with 41 international partnerships and record student enrollment, while maintaining the university’s spiritual mission through scholarships, pastoral education, and continental capacity-building initiatives.
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