Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
African Development Bank (AfDB) has said the commercial agriculture being operated by Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), will boost agro-based businesses in Ekiti and Nigeria in general.
AfDB also said the 400-bed multi-system of the university teaching hospital has started giving the country hope that medical tourism abroad will reduce considering the equipment and quality of medical personnel available in the health facility.
Senior Director of AfDB Nigeria, Country Department, Ebrima Faal, spoke at ABUAD during a courtesy visit on the university’s founder, Chief Afe Babalola.
The bank’s President, Akinwumi Adesina, had during a visit in 2017, agreed to the university’s request for the granting of $40 million loan for more infrastructure development.
Faal added that ABUAD multi-sectoral farm and multi-system hospital investments and experts in diverse fields in the university will help in the smooth take off of the knowledge hub or zone being proposed by Governor Kayode Fayemi in the state.
“We are meeting the state government on the creation of knowledge hub and how we can support transportation, agriculture and agro-based processing industries in Ekiti.
“ABUAD has done exceedingly well in the area of agriculture. When you talk of better agro-based zone that can boost economy, ABUAD is laying a good foundation.
“With your multi-faceted investments and exploits in academics, you are not only a leading university in Africa, but an anchor of development in Ekiti. The institution is key to Ekiti and South West economy,” Faal said.
Babalola commended the bank for its strong development focus in Africa, saying the AfDB fund given to the university was judiciously spent to equip the hospital to a world-class status.
He, however, regretted that the university ought to have begun work on the proposed industrial park, comprising 121 units of industries, but for a court action filed by the former owner of the land.