By Idris Katib
ABEOKUTA
Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria has pioneered a Long Service Award in honour of 94 of its staff members with fifteen years of meritorious service and above, while also laying the foundation for Africa’s AI future.
The quadruple event also witnessed Founder’s Day Lecture, Bola Ajibola Community Service Awards and a book presentation in honour of the Proprietor and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Prince Ma’ruf Adesegun Ajibola SAN.
Crescent University made history on Saturday, becoming the first private university in Nigeria to formally institute a Long Service Award for staff who have served between 15 and 20 years in service.
The landmark recognition came during the institution’s 20th Founders’ Day celebration, where 94 employees were honoured for their loyalty and contribution to the university’s growth since its inception.
Among those celebrated were the Vice Chancellor Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Rasaki Kareem; Registrar Prince Zakariyyah Ajibola and Chairman of Ceremonials Committee, Dr. Kola Adesina.
The move signaled a shift in how private universities value staff recognition, compensation, retention, setting a new benchmark for human resource management in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, led tributes to the university’s late founder, Prince Bola Ajibola, describing him as a “visionary who committed his life and resources to building an enduring educational legacy”.
He also praised the Chairman Board of Trustees, Prince Mohammed Ma’ruf Adesegun Ajibola, SAN, for sustaining that vision of legacy.
“Ajibola remained a nation-builder from childhood until his death,” Obasanjo said, stressing that Crescent University continues to impact lives two decades.
The anniversary also marked another milestone: the establishment of a new department of
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Knowledge.
The department received immediate backing from two prominent Egba bigwigs — the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, and the Osi of Egbaland, Chief Bode Mustapha — who each pledged the donations of ₦10 million each for the endowments.
The investment positions Crescent University to become a pioneer in AI training on the continent of Africa.
Crescent’s new department aims to close that gap by developing skilled graduates who can build, deploy, and govern AI systems locally.
Beyond coding, the curriculum is expected to integrate ethics, law, and policy — a nod to founder Ajibola’s legacy as an international jurist — ensuring Nigeria produces not just AI users, but AI leaders who understand context.
The Vice Chancellor Professor Ibraheem Gbajabiamila disclosed that the university now hosts over 3,500 students from across Nigeria and has begun construction of a multi-million naira Medical Science Laboratory Complex donated by the Abdul Samad Rabiu Foundation of BUA Group.
He said plans were also underway to establish a College of Medicine, while commending long serving staff members for their dedication, stressing that many stayed despite other opportunities.
The event featured the presentation of the 2026 Bola Ajibola Community Service Awards to Asiwaju Kamal’deen Akintunde, retired DIG Adeleye Oyebade, and Aare Kazeem Bakinson.
Prof. Abdul-Qadir Abikan, DG of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, delivered the Founder’s Day Lecture on the “Collapse of the Rule-Based World Order,” warning that Africa must build industrial and technological capacity to avoid subordination in global affairs.
Other dignitaries are the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, the Olota of Ota, Oba Prof. Abdul-Kabir Obalanlege, and alumni who witnessed the public presentation of Trends in Constitutionalism and Constitutional Adjudication in Nigeria, a book published in Ajibola’s honour.
Twenty years on, Crescent University is betting that loyalty and innovation can coexist — rewarding the people who built its past while funding the technology that will define its future.
