The Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD,Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, on Wednesday announced that the university will graduate 2,194 students at its 14th unbroken convocation ceremonies scheduled for October 14 to 21, 2026.
Addressing a pre-convocation press conference in Ado-Ekiti, Olarinde said the Class of 2026, christened AURORA, is the largest in the university’s history, comprising 1,759 undergraduates and 435 postgraduate students.
“The number has risen from 103 graduands at our inaugural Convocation in 2013 to 2,194 graduands in 2026, more than 21 times the inaugural figure,” she said, noting that total graduates from 2013 to 2026 now stands at 17,020.
Giving a breakdown, the Vice-Chancellor said the College of Medicine and Health Sciences produced the highest number with 625 graduates, including 271 in Medicine and Surgery and Optometry, followed by Engineering with 251, Law 205, Social and Management Sciences 206, Sciences 180, Pharmacy 115, and others. She added that 286 students bagged First Class, 824 Second Class Upper, 234 Second Class Lower and 29 Third Class, while others completed professional programmes.
Olarinde paid tribute to the Founder and Chancellor, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, saying his vision of reforming education through practical learning continues to guide the institution.
“As our Founder has said, ‘Education must address real issues affecting human lives.’ His insistence that education must solve problems and improve society is reflected in our teaching, research, farms, industrial park and hospital,” she stated.
She disclosed that the Founder will receive two honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Trinity Western University, Canada, and Trinity International University, USA, at the grand finale on October 21.
“Dr Philip Laird, who personally travelled from Canada to present the invitations, described the honours as recognition of Aare Afe Babalola’s contributions to legal scholarship, educational innovation and leadership,” Olarinde said.
On global recognition, the Vice-Chancellor announced that ABUAD retained its number one position in Nigeria for the fifth consecutive year in the 2026 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, ranking second in Africa and 72nd globally.
“ABUAD is therefore the only Nigerian university within the top 100 universities worldwide in the 2026 Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings,” she said, adding that the ranking assesses contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking on academic quality, Olarinde said the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria increased the MBBS quota from 200 to 250 after accreditation, while the new Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme received an initial quota of 25.
“This is the highest ever approved quota to start dental programme in Nigeria,” she noted, attributing it to investments in faculty building, 50 new dental units and modern laboratories.
She highlighted research and partnership strides, including deployment of a High-Performance Computing facility in November 2025, inauguration of the ABUAD Innovation Hub in January 2026, and selection of 37 engineering students for Industry 4.0 training in China.
“At ABUAD, we value partnerships not merely by the agreements we sign, but by the tangible opportunities they create for our students,” she said.
On healthcare impact, Olarinde said the ABUAD Multi-System Hospital completed 27 additional kidney transplants in the last year, bringing its cumulative record to 58 in three years, alongside successful open-heart and complex surgeries. She also noted the Founder’s donation of navigational aids worth $1.6 million and a N357 million car park for the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, which commenced commercial flights on December 10, 2025.
The convocation lecture will be delivered by Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, on “Functional Education and the Nigeria Project,” while honorary degrees will be conferred on Okonkwo, Mr. Niyi Olajide and Princess Dr. Rosemary Osula Mku-Atu.
Olarinde stressed that challenges remain for Nigerian universities, saying, “No nation can develop beyond the quality of its education,” and called for stronger collaboration between government, industry and universities.