Afe Babalola approves N77,000 minimum wage for ABUAD workers 

In a generous move, Afe Babalola, the Chancellor of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has approved a new minimum wage of N77,000 for the institution’s staff.

The Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Smaranda Olarinde, a professor, disclosed this on Monday in her 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 ABUAD Staff Assessment and Performance Evaluation Review (SAPER) Report, which she presented at the 15th anniversary of the commencement of academic activities of the institution held at the university campus.

Ms Olarinde also said that 452 staff across various colleges were assessed during the period in review, including 40 professors and 46 readers who were recommended for external assessment.

The Vice-Chancellor lauded Mr Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) for his generosity, saying that the founder ensured payment of the annual leave bonus for 2024 and made available the annual Christmas gift to all staff members.

“In November 2024, after the Federal Government announced a minimum wage of N70,000.00, the founder made the decision to exceed this by adding 10%, raising the minimum wage of ABUAD staff to N77,000.00 as against the N70,000.00 minimum wage proposed by the Federal Government.

“To cap it all up, the founder ensured payment of the annual leave bonus for 2024 and made available the annual Christmas gift to all staff members.

“This generous decision, following the earlier salary adjustment, demonstrates the founder’s deep commitment to the well-being of every staff member of ABUAD.

“452 staff across various colleges were assessed: 40 professors (PFQed) and 46 readers (PFQed) were recommended for external assessment.”

On how staff were assessed, she explained that the Assessment and Performance Evaluation Review (SAPER) process is a structured system aimed at evaluating staff contributions, recognizing strengths, identifying areas for improvement, and fostering career growth by providing feedback and guidance, identifying training needs, and creating opportunities for advancement.

“Established under the Founder/Chancellor’s leadership, it supports promotions, salary increments, and staff motivation to enhance productivity despite economic challenges.

“To streamline the process, assessment forms were redesigned using Google Docs for easier accessibility and submission. Completed forms were reviewed by department/unit heads and forwarded to the A&P board for consideration of which recommendation to the ABUAD A&P Committee led by the Vice-Chancellor.

“Final recommendations for promotions, increments, and bonuses were approved by the founder/chancellor,” she said.