Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has urged the federal government to urgently close all substandard universities, polytechnics, and other educational centers across the country.
Babalola argued that the impact of these centers and institutions has caused incalculable damage to the nation’s education system and the development of the country.
The renowned legal icon spoke on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while being conferred with the fellowship of King’s College, London, for his transformative contributions to education and society.
He said the National Universities Commission (NUC) should particularly focus its efforts on universities and centers that are not operating according to the approved standards and requirements set by the commission.
He described such institutions as ‘major weapons’ fashioned against quality and functional education in Nigeria and the world at large.
According to him, “The biggest menace facing quality education today, especially in Nigeria and across Africa, is the proliferation of mushroom, satellite institutions and campuses, including study centers that have long deviated from their original conceptualization and intent.
“What we expect is for the National University Commission (NUC) to close down mushroom universities. There are many such institutions that have been pronounced illegal by authorities but are still operating, allegedly, and which commenced operations even without the permission of the NUC.”
“I recall that the NUC once published their names. But why don’t they arrest the owners of such illegal universities? Why don’t they close them down?
“Why can’t they make the staff of such universities face punishment and put them before the court of law? And yet, they are even building new ones every day.”
The Vice President, International Engagement and Service of King’s College, London, Professor Funmi Olonisakin, said the fellowship award conferred on Babalola was in recognition of the transformative contributions of the legal luminary to society.
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“We are here to award the fellowship of King’s College, London to Aare Afe Babalola, whose fellowship is typically given to people who have made transformative contributions to society at large or King’s College, London,” she said.
Earlier, the Governor of Ekiti, Biodun Oyebanji, hailed the giant strides of the founder and ABUAD in the areas of medicine, law, invention, and sciences.
Oyebanji, represented by the state’s Head of Service, Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, said his footprints across all sectors had made him the father of the state, stressing that his uncommon humanity and impact had also ranked him higher against all odds.
In her welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Smaranda Olarinde, thanked King’s College, London for honoring the ABUAD founder, saying that the investiture was most befitting as it recognized Babalola’s efforts in education and other areas of life.
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