AARE AFE BABALOLA,SAN, OFR, CON
Founder / Chancellor Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD )
Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Aare Afe Babalola, a self-made man, a distinguished member of the Bar of England and Wales, a foremost lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a philanthropist, winner of the African Man of the Year in Food Security (2014 and 2024), the Aare Baamofin of Yoruba Empire, a celebrated advocate of quality and functional education in Nigeria, former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, former Chairman of all Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities and 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, No. 4 in Africa, and No. 142 amongst the 2,152 universities ranked globally in 2024.
What stands this rare Nigerian out is the fact that his classroom Education stopped at Standard Six. He never attended any Secondary School or University. His philosophy that “He prays most who works hardest” spurred him to study privately and passed the following examinations:
Cambridge School Certificate in 1951,
GCE Ordinary Level of London University with Six Papers in 1952,
GCE Advanced Level of London University Four Papers in 1954,
B. Sc. Economics of London University in 1959 by private studies,
LL. B (Hon.) of London University in 1963, also by private studies, and
BL of Lincolns Inn, London, also in 1963.
It was in appreciation of all these achievements he made privately that the University of London conferred on him its Honourary Doctor of Laws at an impressive ceremony attended by representatives from 92 countries on Wednesday, March 11, 2015, thus making him a triple Alumnus of the University.
An unrepentant Apostle of hard work, his resourcefulness has been recognized several times around the world with Honorary Doctorate Degrees from 10 Universities including the Nigerian Defence Academy and 12 Fellowships from Institutions of Higher Education and Professional Associations/Bodies. In 2007 he was conferred with the Honourary Professor of Education by European Business Assembly, Oxford.
Aare Afe Babalola has brought the proverbial Midas touch to bear on every field that he has been involved in, including but not limited to Legal practice, Community Development, Agriculture, Philanthropy and Education, particularly Medical and Pharmacy Education.
A patently selfless man, he agreed in 2000 to serve as the Pro Chancellor & Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos pro bono after he had turned down Ministerial appointments twice. His experience in UNILAG afforded him the rare opportunity to see the rot and decay in Nigeria’s public university system. In appreciation of the reforms he spearheaded, and which led to visible growth and development of UNILAG during his seven-year stint as the Pro Chancellor & Chairman of Council, he was twice voted the Best Pro Chancellor in the country and was later voted the Chairman of all Pro Chancellors in the country.
After his tenure as Pro Chancellor of UNILAG, he decided, in 2009, to set up a private university which will be a model for transformation of quality and functional education in Nigeria and to teach Nigerians how a university, properly so-called, should be run.
The National Universities Commission, NUC, the Regulatory Authority for University Education in Nigeria has since acknowledged the University as, “a model, benchmark and reference point for other universities and the pride of university education in Nigeria”.
Today, his university, ABUAD, remains the only university offering residential education in the country, with all the students living on campus.
His commitment to standard, ethical behaviour, high-quality education and skill development has been acknowledged by the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities which dubbed his university as “the most successful university in Nigeria” while UNESCO has endorsed it as “a world class institution of Higher Education”.
He also established the ultra-modern 400-bed ABUAD Multi-System Hospital which has been acknowledged by leading medical stakeholders as the “most well-equipped Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa”.
His interest in community development propelled him to establish and Industrial Research Park for the construction of 124 Small, Medium, and Large-scale industries to produce Garri, Fufu and Starch, Poundo Yam, Rice, seven different Moringa Products, Pharmaceutical products such as ABUAD Virucidine, Natucadine (an anti-aging formulation), and AB-Mal (an anti-malaria), tablets and syrup and Bottle Pre-forms as well as different flavours of Carbonated drinks, among several others.
Renowned Advocate, Farmer, Philanthropist, Educator, leading Legal Author who has written eight books which are used in courts and universities, distinguished leading Lawyer, notable Healthcare provider, Aare Afe Babalola owns the prestigious Award of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and Commander of the Order of Niger (CON). He has also won the African Man of the Year in Food Security in 2014
His philosophy of life is, “he prays most who works hardest”.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I present to you a leading legal light, an icon and father of Law in the country, a prominent Medical Educator, an unbending philanthropist, a bridge builder Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, B. Sc (London), LL. B (London), LL. D (Hc) (London), LL. D (Hc) (UNILAG), LL. D (Hc) (UI), LL. D (Hc) University of Ado-Ekiti, LL. D (Hc) University of Jos, D. Lit (Hc) Kogi State University, D. Lit (Hc) (NDA), Doctor of Management (Hc) Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, FNIALS, FCI.Arb, a Fellow of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, a Fellow of King’s College, FKC, London, the uncommon man who does uncommon things in common terrains with uncommon results, to be decorated as the Ekiti Summit Person of the Year.