Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has raised an alarm over the deteriorating condition of the Ado-Ijan Road, warning that the university and nearby areas could soon become inaccessible if urgent action is not taken.
The school management is pleading with both the Federal Government and the Ekiti State Government to repair the road before it completely collapses. They said the road is now so bad that it is only a matter of time before movement becomes impossible.
Speaking with journalists on the school campus over the weekend, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Olasupo Ijabadeniyi, said, “That road is fast becoming useless. If it finally breaks down, it will affect not just the university, but also the airport and other businesses in the area.”
Meanwhile, ABUAD has received global recognition for its academic work. It was recently ranked 84th in the world and 3rd in Africa by Times Higher Education. The university also holds top positions in several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including being first in Africa for Affordable & Clean Energy and Climate Action.
Recounting the intervention of the founder of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, on the road from 2009 to 2019, he stated that further support has exceeded his capacity due to the numerous projects he has undertaken across the state. Ijabadeniyi, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof Smaranda Olarinde, said: “The role played by Aare Afe Babalola in the maintenance of the stretch of Ado-Ijan Road from St. Paul’s Church to this university between 2009 and 2019 is in the public domain.
He said, “The same goes for the Ado-Ekiti Cargo Airport, where he has invested billions of naira to make it functional. The maintenance of Ado-ljan Road and the functionality of the Ado-Ekiti Cargo Airport are certainly beyond his capacity, considering the numerous projects he has undertaken in the overall interest of the state. Because of this, the time has come for both the Federal and Ekiti State Governments to see to the immediate reconstruction of the Ado-Ijan Road and the completion of the Ado-Ekiti Cargo Airport. If the university is more accessible, it will attract patronage from both local and international audiences, as a result of which it would he just called winning more laurels for the state and the nation at large.”
Speaking about the recent university ranking, he said that the institution’s dream has been achieved, as ABUAD has navigated its way to the very top among universities both nationally and internationally within its first 15 years of existence.
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