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In the quiet heart of Abeokuta, nestled among the undulating hills of Ogun State, stands an institution whose very existence is a testament to the transformative power of vision and sacrifice.
Crescent University, Abeokuta, now celebrating its twentieth anniversary, is not merely a university—it is the embodiment of a dream once held by one of Nigeria’s most illustrious sons, Judge Bola Ajibola, SAN, CFR, KBE. A former Attorney General of the Federation, Judge of the International Court of Justice, and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ajibola’s legacy transcends the courtroom and diplomatic corridors. It lives on in the minds of thousands of students who have passed through the gates of this citadel of academic and moral excellence.
To understand Crescent University is to understand the man who birthed it. Judge Ajibola was not content with accolades or titles. He was driven by a profound disquiet—a moral unease at the state of education in Nigeria, particularly the plight of the underserved and the marginalised.
In his own words, “We are not out to produce brilliant beasts, but global citizens.” This was not rhetoric; it was a philosophy. And to give it life, he did the unthinkable: he sold off his real estate holdings in Lagos, London, and elsewhere, liquidating his personal comfort to fund the establishment of Crescent University. It was a gesture of radical altruism, one that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would later describe as “the ultimate act of service to humanity.”
The university was founded under the auspices of the Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA), an organisation Ajibola had earlier established to promote peace, education, and interfaith harmony. Yet, Crescent University is not a religious enclave. It is a pluralistic institution, welcoming students and faculty of all faiths and backgrounds. Over thirty percent of its population is non-Muslim, and its curriculum is designed to foster intellectual rigour, ethical reasoning, and global relevance.
From its inception in 2005, Crescent University has grown in leaps and bounds. It began with three foundational colleges—Information and Communication Technology, Natural and Applied Sciences, and Social and Management Sciences.
Today, it boasts six colleges, including the Bola Ajibola College of Law (BACOLAW), the College of Environmental Sciences, and the College of Health Sciences. Each college is a microcosm of the university’s ethos: excellence, integrity, and innovation.
The Bola Ajibola College of Law, named in honour of the founder, has become a beacon of legal education in Nigeria. Its students have consistently excelled at the Nigerian Law School, and its alumni have gone on to postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Egypt. In 2025, BACOLAW students distinguished themselves at the International Criminal Court Moot Competition in The Hague, organized by the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies in conjunction with the International Bar Association and the ICC. The Crescent University team—comprising Sururah Olaniyan, Qadeerah Ibrahim, Iyiola Justus Adeyemi, and Mohammedgazaal Abudu, coached by Mujeeb Imran Esq.—scored 86%, 77%, and 91% across different stages of the competition. The judges lauded their performance as “good and well-structured arguments,” “great presence at the podium and style,” and “excellent eye contact and signposting of arguments that made them easy to follow.” Among 88 teams from 45 countries, Crescent University stood tall as Africa’s shining representative, advancing to the sixth round and earning international acclaim.
This was not an isolated triumph. In 2024, another BACOLAW team made Africa proud at the 31st Vis-Moot Court Arbitration Competition held at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. The trio of Fatihat Omotolani Gafar, Zaynab Precious Ambali, and Habeeb Feranmi Ganiyu—each a First-Class undergraduate—received commendations for their advocacy, subject knowledge, and communication skills. The Proprietor, Prince Mahruf Adesegun Ajibola SAN, described these feats as “a crystallisation of the vision and mission of the Founder, His Excellency Prince Bola Ajibola, to nurture global citizens at the institution which prides itself as a citadel of academic and moral excellence”.
One such graduate is Adedeji Ajayi, who earned both his BSc and MSc degrees from Crescent University before securing a coveted position as a senior journalist at the BBC. Another is Rofiat Gawat, a First-Class graduate who went on to earn a distinction in her Master’s programme at Robert Gordon University in Scotland. These stories are not anomalies; they are the norm.
They are the fruits of a system that prioritises quality, character, and competence.
The College of Health Sciences is another jewel in Crescent’s crown. Its Nursing programme has achieved triple professional certifications—Registered Nurse (RN), Registered Midwife (RM), and Public Health Nursing (PHN)—within its five-year Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) curriculum. In 2025, the programme scored a perfect 100 percent in the Midwifery Examination, a feat that underscores its commitment to professional excellence and public health impact. The college is currently expanding its infrastructure, thanks to a N250 million grant from ASR Africa, which is funding the construction of a state-of-the-art medical science laboratory. This facility will include a 300-seat auditorium, seminar rooms, and laboratories for Medical Biology, Hematology, Pharmacology, and Chemical Pathology. It is a bold step towards positioning Crescent University as a leader in medical education and research.
Indeed, research is no longer peripheral at Crescent University—it is central. The institution has produced hundreds of scientific publications across disciplines such as Medicine, Political Science, Law, and Environmental Science. These metrics are not mere numbers; they are indicators of a vibrant intellectual culture, one that is increasingly contributing to the global body of knowledge.
Equally impressive is the Department of Mass Communication, which has become a flagship of the university’s academic prowess. Led by the cerebral Dr. Kola Adesina and flanked by respected scholars Professors Anaeto and Orebiyi, the department fosters not just media proficiency but principled storytelling. Students are steeped in narrative responsibility and civic consciousness. In the most recent accreditation exercise by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the department scored an extraordinary 93.5 percent—an achievement that places it among the top-tier programmes in the country.
Supported by strategic partnerships, including with Islam Channel UK, the department blends theory with practice, ethics with enterprise, and local relevance with global resonance. Its graduates are found in prestigious organisations such as the BBC, Nestlé, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Dangote Group. They are not merely employed; they are shaping narratives, influencing policy, and redefining the contours of media and communication in Africa. Crescent University’s Department of Mass Communication has become a crucible of intellectual and ethical growth.
As Crescent University marks its twentieth anniversary, it is poised to enter a new phase of growth. Doctoral programmes have commenced, and the Department of Mass Communication is prepared to proudly graduate its first cohort of PhD candidates. Among them is this writer, alongside five distinguished colleagues, now in the fourth year of doctoral research, some of who have published five peer-reviewed papers. This milestone is not merely personal—it is emblematic of the university’s evolution from a teaching institution to a research-intensive powerhouse, demanding rigorous scholarship and philosophical clarity.
But with growth comes responsibility. The true tribute to Judge Bola Ajibola is not in plaques or ceremonies, but in sustaining the principles he held dear: sacrifice, scholarship, and service. The university’s inheritors—its students, alumni, faculty, and benefactors—must ask not what Crescent can do for them, but what they can do to preserve its sanctity and expand its reach. They must become stewards of a legacy that was built not on wealth, but on wisdom; not on privilege, but on principle.
In the Yoruba tradition, there is a proverb: Igi kan ko da igbo se—one tree does not make a forest.
Judge Ajibola was that tree, but Crescent University is the forest. It is a living, breathing testament to what one man’s vision can achieve when nurtured by a community of believers. It is a place where dreams are not deferred, but delivered; where excellence is not an aspiration, but a standard.
As the sun sets on its second decade and rises on its third, Crescent University stands tall—not just as an academic institution, but as a moral compass, a beacon of hope, and a catalyst for change. Its future is bright, and its impact on the world will only continue to grow.
Somorin is a doctoral candidate of Mass Communication at Crescent University, Abeokuta
