By Abubakar Imam
He is young. He is dynamic. He is enterprising. He is humble. He is experienced. He is also intellectually endowed and professionally loaded. He has touched so many lives in so many positive ways as he remains ever and very promising. Yet, he remains unassuming.
The above is the summary of the exciting profile of the pioneer Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun (FUHSI), Osun State, Mr Kassim Kayode Babamale, as seen by yours sincerely.
While KK, by date of birth, remains my younger brother, he is not only my superior in service but also my unforgettable benefactor. Aside from me, he has also been a destiny helper to so many other individuals. And despite having helped many individuals and groups coupled with the quality of positions he holds and has held, he remains very humble and extremely approachable.
Many would find it a bit difficult to believe that, notwithstanding the fact that we are more or less “sons of the same father”, I didn’t get to know him until after his mandatory youth service. This was when he was thinking of which academic programme to pursue at the postgraduate level. It was at a time I was rounding off mine in Industrial and Labour Relations (MILR) at the Better By Far University. He was introduced to me by our mutual “egbon”, Mr Kola Suleiman Abdulsalam. Mr Abdulsalam, the Chairman of the Kwara State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), is currently the Deputy Director at the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Unit, University of Ilorin.
The three of us subsequently rubbed minds on the available professional programmes at the University of Ilorin, with the intention of guiding him (KK) on which of the three popular professional courses (MBA, MPA and MILR) he could pursue. At the end of our interactions, I was convinced that KK had a great future ahead of him as he was quite pleasant and civil in his approach and responses to issues and questions.
Since then, I have been monitoring his progress and I can say that he has been doing very well as a University administrator and patriot. Without an iota of adulation, I can say that KK has been making good use of each of the positions he has held for the benefit of the system and the ordinary people from divergent backgrounds.
Surprisingly, KK has stubbornly refused to allow the paraphernalia and influence of each of the offices to impair or punctuate his humanity and humility. This is an attribute that cannot be said of many other privileged individuals of his age.
Happily, the reports that have been coming my way from his present station show that he has not changed. He has been doing good and trying his best for all manner of people who came his way since he assumed duties at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun.
Mr Kassim Kayode Babamale, who is simply known as KK among his friends, contemporaries and colleagues, was born in the commercial city of Kano on Sunday, September 19, 1976. He, however, hails from the popular Babamale Compound in the Pakata area of Ilorin.
His beloved father is Alhaji Abdulmalik Babamale, a retired senior civil servant and celebrated soccer hero, who captained the Northern Nigerian football team (Northern Lions) between 1960 and 1966. His dad, who is also one of the surviving elder statesmen Ilorin Emirate is blessed with, recently marked his 90th birthday without any form of funfair, as peculiar with his contemporaries across Ilorin Emirate. Kk’s mother is Hajiya Wasilat Babamale, a veteran Nurse, who retired from the services of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, several years ago.
Young KK had his primary education at Trinity Nursery and Primary School, Ilorin, from 1983 to 1988. He proceeded to the Federal Government College, Enugu, where he was trained from 1989 to 1994. He also attended the famous Ansarul Islam Secondary School, Ilorin from 1994 to 1995.
This renowned University administrator proceeded to the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, in 1995. And in 1996, he bagged his IJMB/Advanced Level Certificate.
He was subsequently admitted into the University of Ilorin where he was educated between 1996 and 2000. Having been found worthy in learning and character, KK was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Geography in the year 2000 by the nation’s most sought-after University. He swiftly followed it up with a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) in 2003 from the same University.
This outstanding Chief Administrative Officer of one of the nation’s new generation universities had earlier joined the services of the University of Ilorin in 2004. He was subsequently appointed as a Coordinator in the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Unit of the University. He was promoted to the rank of Senior Assistant Registrar in 2012. He subsequently rose through the ranks to the enviable position of Deputy Registrar at the University in 2018.
In the course of discharging his responsibilities, Mr Babamale served in various units at the University of Ilorin, which includes; Vice Chancellor’s Office from 2008 to 2017 during which he diligently and efficiently served two successive Vice Chancellors as their Personal Assistant. He held the position during the tenure of the energetic current Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, CON, and that of his unassuming successor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, OON who is currently serving as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Kwara State University, Malete.
After his tour of duty at the Vice Chancellor’s Office, Mr Babamale was redeployed to the Postgraduate School of the University where he served from 2017 to 2018. He was also the Faculty Officer, Faculty of Engineering and Technology between 2018 and 2019. He also served at the Examinations and Records Unit of the Academic Support Services between 2019 and 2021.
He chaired and served on various committees including the Chairman of Welfare Sub-Committee of the University of Ilorin Ceremonials Committee for the 35th Convocation Ceremonies and the Chairman of theLocal Organising Committee of the University of Ilorin Annual Registry Lecture series from 2018 to 2021. He also served as Auditor, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) Kwara State Branch.
Mr Babamale had his sabbatical appointment as Deputy Registrar, Student Affairs Unit, Kwara State University, (KWASU), Malete, between 2021 and 2022. He was instrumental to the Vice Chancellor’s restructuring of the Unit. He also served on the Committee, which conducted the Students Union Election of KWASU on 3rd February, 2022 as well as on other related Committees.
This birthday boy was also one of the 58 staff members of KWASU that went on a Strategic Plan Drafting Retreat between 3rd and 8th January, 2022 for the purpose of drafting the Strategic Plan (2022-2027) for the institution.
In February, 2022, Mr Babamale was appointed as the founding Registrar, Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun (FUHSI), Osun State. With the appointment, he became the second son of Ilorin Emirate who would be privileged to serve as the Registrar of a Federal University. The first was his father’s friend and the man, who, incidentally, facilitated his admission into the University of Ilorin, the late Alhaji Abdulkadir Oba Alao. Alhaji Alao served as the Registrar of the University of Ilorin between 1985 and 1997. He was the second holder of the position after its pioneer occupant, Mr Olu Daramola.
A well-trained and disciplined administrator, Mr Babamale is a member of many professional organisations. These include: the Association of Nigerian University Professional Administrators (ANUPA), the Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria (IPAN), and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), among several others.
Mr Babamale is happily married. His beloved beautiful wife is Dr Halimah Funmilayo Babamale, an award-winning scholar and Lecturer at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of Ilorin, and they are blessed with promising children.
This birthday boy, who enjoys reading, travelling and listening to music as his hobbies, is one individual whose industry, humility, erudition and patriotism deserve to be emulated and celebrated.
As KK marks his 48th birthday anniversary today, I join his relations, friends, colleagues and associates in wishing him happy birthday and many happy returns of the day.
Imam is Deputy Editor, UNILORIN Bulletin and National Secretary, Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union.
