Celebrating International Literacy Day Beyond ABUAD

On behalf of the Afe Babalola University community, I am honoured to extend warm greetings as we join the global family in celebrating International Literacy Day 2025, under the official UNESCO theme: “Promoting literacy in the digital era”.

This year’s theme resonates deeply with our institutional mission and inspires us to redouble our commitment to inclusive, innovative, and future-oriented literacy. At ABUAD, we are proud to mark several giant strides that reflect our dedication to embedding literacy and academic excellence at the heart of our university’s ethos:

• We have developed and rolled out a pioneering digital literacy curriculum, mandatory for all undergraduates across all disciplines. This curriculum equips our students with critical digital communication, information evaluation, and e-learning skills, ensuring they flourish in an increasingly digital world.
• In recognition of these strides, ABUAD has attained a remarkable milestone; emerging as Nigeria’s number one university, ranking third in Africa, and securing the 84th position globally in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

These accomplishments affirm our firm resolve that literacy in every form is foundational to personal growth, societal progress, and sustainable development.

On this International Literacy Day, we renew our shared pledge to the transformative power of learning. To our students: read with passion, question with courage, and write with conviction. To our faculty and staff: continue shaping minds, unlocking possibilities, and forging lasting connections. To our partners and supporters: we deeply value your steadfast support on this noble journey.

Together, let us purposefully uphold ABUAD as a shining beacon of literacy, innovation, and transformative education for Ekiti State, Nigeria, Africa and beyond.

Professor E. Smaranda OLARINDE FCArb, FCAI
Vice-Chancellor,
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti