Afe Babalola seeks unified exams for final year varsity students

University administrator, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has suggested to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Federal Ministry of Education to adopt unified examinations for final year students in every course in Nigerian universities.

The eminent lawyer, who spoke yesterday at the 10th matriculation ceremony and award for Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) alumni who had done the institution proud in their academic and career pursuits, described the unified test as one of the potent weapons that could be deployed for quality education in the country.

He added that ABUAD had partnered with NUC to move beyond the minimum standard set by the commission, which necessitated the giant strides in the university.

At the twin event, an alumna, Miss Naomi Ekpo, got the star prize of N525,000 for emerging the best Law School graduating student ever produced by the university since inception in 2010. Other alumni were honoured.

Babalola said: “I want to suggest to NUC and the Ministry of Education that the final year students in all programmes across all our universities should take the same national final examinations.

“This way, every university shall work hard to ensure that its students pass the national examination, thereby ensuring high standard in teaching and learning.

“We have built new generation of Nigerians, I mean a new Nigeria. We are building students who are honest, morally upright and hardworking.”

The senior advocate praised the education regulatory bodies for acknowledging the revolution ABUAD brought to university education.

Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ahmad Belgore, advised the matriculating students to play their parts and prove to the world that good things can happen in Nigeria.

Also, Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, described ABUAD as a “centre of excellence” that had produced quality scholars due to its culture of academic and moral development.

In his brief lecture at the event, the former Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola, said the establishment of ABUAD helped in stabilising and raising the bar of quality education in Africa.

Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Michael Ajisafe, said the university had been described as a leader in functional education in Africa.

Ajisafe added that the institution brought a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s university system having emphasised and practised the culture of academic and moral excellence.

He, therefore, urged the students to brace up for daunting challenges to excel in their academics.