Babcock University ushers in new era with inauguration of Prof. Afolarin Ojewole as Vice-Chancellor

In a momentous ceremony marked by pomp, reflection, and forward-looking optimism, Babcock University on Monday, 1 December 2025, inaugurated Professor Afolarin Olutunde Ojewole as its new President and Vice-Chancellor.

A distinguished scholar of Old Testament Exegesis and Church Ministry, Prof. Ojewole succeeds Professor Ademola S. Tayo, whose decade-long tenure transformed the faith-based institution into a beacon of academic excellence and financial stability. The event also featured the installation of Pastor (Dr.) Ezekiel Adeleye as the new Pro-Chancellor, signalling a fresh chapter for the Seventh-day Adventist–affiliated university.

Prof. Tayo’s leadership from 2015 to 2025 was widely acclaimed as a period of remarkable turnaround, blending infrastructural modernisation with unwavering commitment to Babcock’s Adventist ethos. His inaugural eight-point agenda—focused on a sacred mandate, facility upgrades, and academic expansion—delivered tangible achievements. Highlights included digital consolidation through the deployment of fibre optic infrastructure, upgraded CCTV surveillance with facial-recognition automation, and the establishment of a cloud storage farm compliant with Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) standards.

Under his stewardship, Babcock secured 47 national and international accreditations, strengthening its academic credibility. Research output surged dramatically, with scholarly publications rising from 352 to 4,475 journal articles, underscoring its growing global visibility. Student enrolment expanded to over 14,000 across undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional programmes. The university also executed more than 50 capital projects valued at N13 billion. Financially, Babcock eliminated over $11.2 million in legacy debt, emerging debt-free and poised for sustainable growth.

In a poignant farewell, Prof. Tayo was honoured with an inaugural parade celebrating his service. His parting counsel to the new leadership reflected experience and humility: “Listen more than you speak, protect the spiritual heritage fearlessly, and care for your family, for they are integral to your ministry.” Prof. Tayo now transitions to serve as Vice-Chancellor of the Adventist University of Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, effective 1 January 2026.

Stepping into this legacy, Prof. Ojewole—an alumnus of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) with a BSc in Real Estate Management, an MA in Pastoral Ministry, and a PhD in Old Testament Studies—introduced a vibrant call-and-response slogan: “Hail Babcock!” to which the audience replied, “God’s own University!” Emphasising human capital development, he also renamed the Human Resources Department as the Office of Employee Growth and Well-being, reflecting his people-centred approach.

His administration’s blueprint is anchored on a five-point agenda, aptly captured in the acronym GRACE:

G – Globally relevant: Positioning Babcock as an active global academic player.

R – Research-focused: Strengthening innovation and knowledge creation.

A – Adventist-rooted: Reinforcing the institution’s spiritual foundations.

C – Competent community: Cultivating excellence among staff and students.

E – Entrepreneurial: Generating jobs through redemptive economic initiatives.

The inauguration drew distinguished representatives from academia, government, and the Adventist community. Notably, all four generations of Babcock Vice-Chancellors since its inception in 1999 were present: Prof. J.A.D. Alalade (1999–2004), Prof. J.A. Kayode Makinde (2004–2015), Prof. Ademola S. Tayo (2015–2025), and the newly installed Prof. Afolarin O. Ojewole.

As Babcock University embarks on this GRACE-inspired journey, stakeholders anticipate sustained advancement that marries spiritual integrity with cutting-edge scholarship in Nigeria’s dynamic higher education landscape.