Afe Babalola: A synonym for awards

THE ever-green words of the Preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”. Deriving from that scripture, one could say with an air of finality and credibility that this is a season of Awards for the Elder Statesman, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, LL. D (London), the Founder of the increasingly famous Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, ABUAD, ranked by Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as No. 1 in the World in SDG 7, No. 1 in the World in Outreach with a score of 98%, No. 1 in the World in Stewardship with a score of 98.2%, No. 1 among all the 264 Federal, State, and Private universities in Nigeria for three consecutive years: 2022, 2023 and 2024 and No. 4 in Africa as well as No. 142 amongst the 2,152 universities ranked globally in 2024. The warren of more than 50 chieftaincy titles from across the country’s six geo-political zones, Honourary Doctorate Degrees from 10 universities, including University of London and the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, and 12 Fellowships from institutions of higher education and Professional Bodies, including the latest one from King’s College, London, are eloquent and undeniable testimonies to the fact that humanity has unequivocally and loudly celebrated this former Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council of University of Lagos, UNILAG, in a multiplicity of ways.

Before the Thursday, July 18, 2024,investiture of Babalola as a Fellow of King’s College, London, where he donated a whooping sum of 10 million British pound sterling towards the establishment of the Afe Babalola African Centre for Transnational Education to lift indigent African students from the pangs of ignorance, lack, want and poverty through quality education, the multiple Awards Winner was on April 3, 2024, decorated as an Honourary Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy for his “great strides as a highly inspiring Nigerian who has impacted generations and demonstrated significant interest in Pharmacy through his pioneering efforts in establishing the first College of Pharmacy in Nigeria”. Babalola’s willingness to give back to the society with a view to leaving it better than he has met it did not start yesterday morning. It has been part and parcel of his enduring persona over the years. For example, as a practical demonstration of the fact that it is not only when one is fabulously rich that one can help and raise other people, the very time he started earning a living from his Law Practice, he did not wait to become a millionaire or a billionaire before he turned his attention to philanthropy by giving scholarships to the needy and outstanding brilliant students.

An acknowledgedphilanthropist, Babalola has made the following gifts or donations to Tertiary Institutions, Communities, Hospitals and Unions/Societies in Nigeria, among several others. •He financed and donated the imposing multi-million Afe Babalola Auditorium to University of Lagos.The building was commissioned by President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR in 2006. • He financed and donated a multi-million Naira building to African Heritage Library at Olorunda-Aba Road, Ibadan. • He donated a multi-million Naira Nuclear Medicine Building to University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan. • He constructed multi-million Naira model Bar Centresfor Ibadan, Ado-Ekiti and Akure Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. • He made substantial financial contribution to PREMI, an organization for the Rehabilitation of Prisoners. • He initiated an Endowment Fund Scheme in University of Lagos. The annual income from capital investment of donation is being used to award scholarships to students of the University.  Five hundred scholarships were awarded in February 2006 under the Chairmanship of President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. It is the first of its type in the history of our universities. • He initiated the Build-Occupy-and-Transfer (BOT) system under which Hostels worth hundreds of millions of Naira are being constructed for the University of Lagos.

• He contributed more than 10% of the money to finance the construction and take-off of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti. •He was the Chairman of the Committee for the construction of an ultra-Modern Palace for the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti which today is one of the best in Nigeria. He also made substantial financial contributions. • He financed and donated an ultra-modern Auditorium to Faculty of Law, University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD) which was commissioned by President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR in 2004. • He built an ultra-modern Church for over N75million at Ado-Ekiti. The building was commissioned by the Archbishop of Anglican Communion of Nigeria in 2005. • He constructed a Block of Flats for Inland Club at Ado-Ekiti. • He built and donated the Aare Afe Babalola Labour House for the Nigeria Labour Congress at Ado-Ekiti. • Aare Afe also built a Museum in honour of Fabunmi, the famous Ekiti warrior, at Oke Imesi, among others. • He awarded numerous scholarships annually at Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti and to Ado-Ekiti indigenes etc.
• In 2017, he instituted the Annual Afe Babalola Poverty Alleviation Programme where he doles out millions of Naira to Nigerians to uplift them, their businesses and vocations. All these altruistic gestures naturally swayed many Awards in his direction as veritable signs of appreciation. With these latest Awards (the Fellowship of King’s College), the world has thus further taken cognizance of Babalola’s genuine commitment to promoting the cause of humanity which has marked him out as a leading legal icon, protagonist of functional and quality Education, including Health Education, Farmer, Industrialist, Healthcare provider, Community Leader and Philanthropist of note whose social consciousness is a source of inspiration to the world and as such deserving to be celebrated across the globe. For Babalola, a triple Alumnus of the University of London, who donated a staggering sum of 10 million British Pound Sterling for the establishment of Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education at King’s College, partnering with King’s College, University of London, the first university in the world that appreciates the power of education to provide quality education for the under-privileged in the 60’s, is a project that is dear to his heart. This is the more so because education is the surest panacea to ignorance, poverty, extremism, religious bigotry and tribalism among other vices.

Through this partnership, Babalola is replicating what the University of London did in the past through its External Degree Programme which enabled the underprivileged in the Commonwealth to study at home.  It was this External Degree Programme that enabled the former Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 1959 and LL. B (Hons.) in 1963 from the University of London and an Honourary LL. D of the same university in March 2015, his humble beginnings notwithstanding. According to him, his financial contribution to this Programme is a way of reciprocating what he benefitted from the laudable and unique External Degree Programme of the University of London in the 60’s without which he certainly would have ended up an unsung farmer or at best the Secretary of the Local Motor Union (courtesy of Bishop Mathew Kukkah).

For Babalola, these warrens of awards are significant in many ways. Indeed, this would appear to be the harvest time for this altruistic Nigerian who sold his properties in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and England, pooled and devoted the proceeds to education after his two-term stint as an exemplary Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos between 2000 and 2007, an experience which gave birth to his 15-year old university, ABUAD, which commenced uninterrupted Academic works on January 4, 2010 and which was ranked excellently by the UK-based Times Higher Education Impact Rankings during its 2024 outing.

Happily, Babalola’s efforts at making the society better than he has met it are not in vain. The society, locally and internationally, has not failed to acknowledge his immense contributions to make the world a better place to live in.

With over 50 titles and Awards across the globe, including Honourary Doctor of Laws and Doctor of Letters from 10 universities, including University of London, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan and the elite Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, 12 Fellowships from institutions of Higher Education and Professional Bodies as well as many traditional titles, humanity has unequivocally and loudly demonstrated that Babalola, a man of commendable candour who has consistently redefined patriotism and reworked nationalism, is a rare gem with all-time and all-round relevance to the world around him.

Babalola’s good natured-ness and generosity of spirit is incomparable and unparalleled while his love and contributions to humanity are immeasurable and indescribable. He remains the man who relishes in lighting other people’s candles. No wonder, his own candle keeps glowing brighter and brighter.

While congratulating this citizen of the world of African descent, a man with insatiable appetite for hard work and excellence, one is compelled to assure this most altruistic man whose name opens doors and windows of opportunities that better days are ahead.

• Olofintila, ABUAD’s Director of Corporate Affairs, writes in from Ado-Ekiti

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