The Christ Apostolic Church gives Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, N30m monthly to support its operations, the church’s president, Pastor Samuel Oladele, has said.
Oladele disclosed this on Thursday while speaking with journalists on the campus of the university during activities marking its 20th anniversary.
He said the church initially provided N20m monthly to the faith-based institution before increasing the support to N30m.
According to him, the establishment of the university required prayers, planning, sacrifice and institutional discipline.
”The journey from vision to reality required prayer, planning, consultation, sacrifice and institutional discipline. A Planning and Implementation Committee, inaugurated on 31 January 2002 under the chairmanship of Professor A. M. A. Imevbore, undertook the demanding work of translating the vision into a university capable of meeting regulatory requirements and serving generations of students,” he said.
He said the initiative was driven by the church’s desire to contribute to society beyond spiritual ministry through the development of knowledge, character, leadership and human capacity.
Oladele said the choice of Ikeji-Arakeji as the host community was significant because of its association with the prophetic call of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in October 1928.
He said the church initially had no money or resources to establish the university but relied on faith to pursue the project.
The visitor also disclosed that the church increased its monthly financial support to JABU from N20m to N30m.
“When Christ Apostolic Church had nothing, we didn’t have any impact on this project at all. But what we see is a faith-based institution. So we see what faith has done for us and if you look at the tenets of Christ Abundant Church, you find out that one of them is faith in God, Jehovah-Jireh, the one that provides for us. When we call upon His name, He does provide for us.
“When we started, we had nothing to start with, no money, no resource, but then we are back to the project by faith, and this is how far the Lord has helped us, and this is the same church which did not have any money then, but which later started to give JABU a sum of N20million every month, and later it was even increased to N30million,” he said.
The CAC president said the church’s financial support was part of efforts to sustain the institution, adding that the university was expected to grow beyond dependence on monthly funding.
He described the university’s 20 years of operation as a period of growth and success, expressing optimism about its future.
Oladele said JABU was established not merely to award degrees but to combine academic learning with enterprise, professional competence, character and service.
”Its entrepreneurial orientation reflects the conviction that graduates should be prepared not only to seek opportunities but also to create them,” he said.
He commended the university’s management, CAC members in Nigeria and overseas, the host community and other stakeholders for supporting its development.
The anniversary is themed, “Two Decades of Divine Grace, Growth and Glory.”