A presidential stamp was put on the series of activities marking ABUAD’s maiden convocation when President Goodluck Jonathan landed on ABUAD’s campus at 11.15 a.m in an Air Force Helicopter on October 19 and received by a tumultuous and enthusiastic crowd to commission the university’s gargantuan Engineering Building named after him.

The Engineering Building built on three and half acres of land and equipped with sophisticated state-of-the-art equipment from Europe and the Americas is reputed to be the largest in Africa.

To underscore the import of the commissioning, the President was accompanied by a powerful delegation of the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd), the Minister for Education, Dr. Nyesom and Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and Governor of Kaduna State as well as Governor of Gombe State.

Speaking earlier before the commissioning, President Jonathan who had earlier described Babalola’s yeo-man’s efforts in establishing the university as “Notably one of the most outstanding individual contributions towards government educational project” was full of praises for Babalola’s superlative and monumental achievements in the university within a spate of three years.

Specifically, he commended the Founder Babalola for building for the country such a magnificent citadel of learning to shape destinies and light the lamp on the country’s quality and reformatory educational path.

He eulogized Babalola and his wife, Yeye Aare Modupe Babalola both of whom he described as people with an undeniable passion for   quality education and who have made a name for themselves by establishing a world class university like ABUAD which has become the toast of many.

He confirmed that the facilities, structures and learning character he had seen in ABUAD were living testimonies to the Founder’s commitment, dedication and sense of mission after his eight years stint as Pro–Chancellor and Chairman of Council in the University of Lagos.

His words: “It is often said that great minds leave great history behind them and this history is built on a great vis. The vision of Aare Afe Babalola, founder of this promising institution is a noble one”.

According to the President, some of the greatest institutions in the world were shaped by the vision, foresight  and personal experience of their founders, with ABUAD sharing same through Babalola who he described as a man of unassailable character, profound vision, an epitome of the of the highest ideals and a quintessential Nigerian patriot.

He congratulated the pioneer students for being part of the success story, adding that anybody that pioneers any organization is always seen as special guest of such organization.

Commenting on the World Webometric ranking which rates the university as the 2nd Best Private University and 13th among 157 Universities in Nigeria, the President advised the students to practise the skills and knowledge they have acquired with the continuous task for nation building.

Emphasizing that ABUAD is a University that moulds character, he admonished the students to always represent the university well whenever they are outside the institution, pointing out that education without character is a dangerous to any society.

Jonathan would like well-meaning Nigerian like Babalola to take a cue from him by investing in quality education because it has become obvious that government cannot fund education alone.