ABUAD Tripartite agreement offers students in year five of study an opportunity to attain clinical experience with John Hopkins Hospital, USA.

On Tuesday, 10 January 2023, at the Alfa Belgore Hall, ABUAD, the Afe Babalola University, signed a medical training agreement with John Hopkins University, USA, through the Little by Little Foundation. The agreement provides the opportunity to ABUAD students of good performance to undergo part of their clinical electives, in their fifth year of study, at the John Hopkins Hospital, USA. This Tripartite Partnership for Medical Training is unique among universities in Nigeria in its potential to enhance human capital development in the medical sector, a much-needed skill across the globe. ABUAD, popularly designated as the “pride of tertiary education” by the National Universities Commission, is, through this agreement, creating a pathway for students to continue to take advantage of state-of-the-art human and physical resources during their medical training. 

The remarks of Aare Afe Emmanuel Babalola, SAN, the Chancellor/Founder of ABUAD, reminded the gathering of the humble beginning to this partnership, a seed sown in good soil. Aare in his well-documented philanthropic-style had offered to buy a camera for an upcoming photographer, known as ‘little-by-little’, who needed the resources to start his trade, more than fifty years ago. This simple encounter, decades ago, in ways so similar to the transformation from the humble beginnings of Aare himself, led to a lifetime of achievements for ‘little-by-little’ culminating in the Little-by-Little Foundation, which facilitated this important partnership.

At the signing of the epoch-making agreement, the Ekiti State Governor, his Excellency Biodun Oyebanji, ably represented by the Secretary to the State Government, expressed the goodwill of the Governor for this development in Ekiti State. The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti and other highly respected Royal fathers present rejoiced with ABUAD on the opportunities the partnership foretells on putting Ado-Ekiti further on the global map. Staff, parents, and students of Afe Babalola University were also present to rejoice with ABUAD on this occasion for the transformation of medical studies.  The Vice-Chancellor, Professor E. Smaranda Olarinde, noted that even though the journey has not been easy, Afe Babalola University has taken its place of pride as a leading institution of transformative, quality, and functional higher education. She advised ABUAD medical students to explore the unique opportunities that a programme such as this can afford them. The Vice-Chancellor enjoined students to imbibe the spirit of giving back to their alma mater, ABUAD, just as Chief Adegoke Julius Ajayi, the Grand Patron of Little-by-Little has eminently did today in recognition of our Chancellor’s generosity of over fifty years ago.

Vice-Chancellor, ABUAD