Legal giant Aare Afe Babalola’s aggressive investment and contributions to education development and his selfless service to humanity have earned him a prestigious fellowship award by the highly-respected King’s College, London. RASAQ IBRAHIM, who was at the epoch-making event in Ado Ekiti, reports
human eras are replete with great individuals, who defined their history with the magnitude of their accomplishments which confound fellow human beings. One of the few in Nigeria is Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, an accomplished lawyer, elder-statesman and distinguished national figure.
Last Thursday was one of his happiest days. He beamed with smile as a red carpet was systemically rolled out to celebrate his accomplishments.
The exquisite Memorial Alfa BeIgore Hall of ABUAD, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, venue of the ceremony, stood still for Babalola as the foremost King’s College, London, literally relocated its base to the ancient town to confer its fellowship on the world-acclaimed and versatile legal luminary.
Top government officials, community leaders, captains of industries, his family members, friends and well-wishers, who were dressed in various attires, added colour, glitz and glamour to the event. Indeed, it was a celebration of excellence, hard work and diligence of an achiever by all standards.
Already, Babalola’s closet is replete with avalanche of diadems and honours from diverse educational institutions in sheer recognition of his selfless toil and sweat that have completely changed the face of the nation’s educational landscape. But, the latest award is priceless, being a garland from the “mighty King’s College, London”, a university reputed for historic legacies.
Honouring Babalola is not a surprise to many, especially those who know his impressive antecedents, exemplary work ethics, inspiring penchant for excellence and humanity. The garland bestowed on him is reward of his selfless service and relentless dedication to the development of education, legal jurisprudence, health, agriculture and industrial growth.
“Aare”, as he is fondly called, has made an indelible imprint in the sands of time in the realm of human capital development, thereby endearing himself to thousands, who had benefited from his selfless and humanitarian services. He is also reputed to have helped thousands of Nigerians to rediscover lost destinies and provided a veritable compass for those wandering in the cruel wilderness of difficulties and uncertainties.
His accomplishments have proved those who see Africa as a dark continent wrong. They are wrong going by the story of the foremost lawyer, humanist, farmer and philanthropist per excellence, who looms large. Babalola’s enduring imprints is an eloquent testament to the power of courage, dedication, diligence and hard work.
At a time like this when anything new and progressive is a great reminder of the sad flight of hope in Nigeria and its replacement by despair, it behoves only some die-hard patriotic optimists to take a progressive leap as an indication that all is not lost in our country after all. One of such optimists is the renowned legal icon, who rose from humble background to become a giant in all fronts as well as a household name in Nigeria and at the international level.
It was in recognition of these towering exploits that the King’s College bestowed its prestigious fellowship on the ABUAD founder. This came barely a year, after the management of the King’s College visited the institution to study the secret behind its giant feats and announced a partnership with ABUAD on transnational education.
During the visitation, the leader of the team, who is the institution’s President, Prof. Shitiij Kapur, was excited by the state of the art infrastructure and other facilities in the university, which, he said, are among the best in the world.
He applauded Babalola for his foresight in establishing a university that could compete favourably with Ivy League universities in promoting scholarship and cutting-edge researches.
Prof. Kapur said ABUAD had established itself as a reputable tertiary institution by bridging the educational divide on global scale and expanding the frontiers of 21st century knowledge at higher pace.
He described the achievements recorded by ABUAD in education and healthcare as unparalleled and supersonic, saying he was amazed that the institution has over 8,000 students within 10 years, a feat which took the King’s College more than a century to achieve.
The college’s president stated that his team came from London to learn from ABUAD how it was able to change the hitherto status quo and institutionalised itself as a dynamic force on the global educational map within the short time.
“It’s a privilege to see ABUAD University, my colleague and I being inspired by what we saw. We come here not to teach but to learn. What we came to learn is the ambition and mission of this great university.
“I am surprised that it takes ABUAD to go from zero to over 8000 students in less than a decade. It took the King’s College centuries to build a world class hospital that we have and you have built one in less than a decade.
“So, I think the future is in your hands. They say humanity began from Africa and I think the century belongs here. We are here to embrace and we are here to contribute in whatever little way we can to your success,” Prof. Kapur said.
He asserted that it was not by happenstance that the college, decided to confer its fellowship on the ABUAD proprietor, “but rather an audacious recognition of his immense impacts on education development and the society at large”.
Speaking during the investiture, leader of the King’s College delegation, who is also Vice President, International Engagement and Service, Prof. Funmi Olonisakin, told the gathering the fellowship award bestowed on Babalola was a meritorious honour.
Prof. Olonisakin, who extolled Babalola for his spirited efforts in advancing the frontiers of knowledge, said the King’s College’s management decided to honour him in appreciation of his efforts in advancing the development of education and the cause of humanity.
He described the elder-statesman as a “magician” who has revolutionised the international education system within the short time of establishing ABUAD by raising the standard of education at the global level and grooming generation of future leaders.
“We are here to award the fellowship of the prestigious King’s College, London to Aare Afe Babalola, whose fellowship is typically bestowed on people who have made transformative contributions to the development of education and society at large.
“Usually, the recipient of the Fellowship of King’s College, London would be conferred at a graduation ceremony, but exceptionally, we have come here to present this award to Aare Afe Babalola,” she added.
Urging the ABUAD founder to rev up the pedal and sustain the tempo that had made the institution a shining star, the leader of the college’s delegation prayed that the Almighty God will uphold the educationist in good health and grant him more strength to keep serving his country, Africa, the world and humanity.
In his reaction, the elated Aare Babalola, who thanked the leadership of the College for the honour, described the fellowship as a further challenge to do more for the society and the education sector.
He lauded the college for seeing the immense value that he and ABUAD have brought to the development of education and the society at large.
He said: “I consider it a great honour to receive this Fellowship of Kings College London. I was very proud to receive the invitation signed by the Chairman of Council of Kings College, the Lord Geidt, stating that this Fellowship ‘is awarded to people who have had a transformative impact on the college through their work or activities or whose accomplishments are exceptional and align with the King’s aspirations and values’.
“I am enormously delighted and pleased to have been found worthy of such a rare honour. I sincerely thank distinguished Prof. Funmi Olonisakin and all members of her team, who travelled all the way from London to Nigeria to present this award to me.”
He added: “In 2015, I received Honorary Doctor of Law from University of London for which I am grateful. Kings College London is a respected college of University of London. However, receiving this Honorary Fellowship today gives me additional joy.
“It is indeed an open secret that I have a special admiration and bond with the University of London and by extension Kings College London.”
The ABUAD founder, who went down memory lane, said apart from primary six leaving certificate, all the education he received was through correspondence study. According to him, his partnership with Kings College, London was targetted at reviving the correspondence study system.
Acknowledging that millions of underprivileged but brilliant people in Nigeria, Africa and around the world had similar problem, which deprived him from continuing school after primary school, the elder statesman said: “It has since been my earnest wish to provide same opportunity (correspondence study) for transformative education.”
He expressed joy that the “Kings College, London warmed up to the idea and we established Afe Babalola Transnational Education Centre with the aim of reviving the correspondence education system and infuse with modern technological enhancements for greater reach and impact”.
The ABUAD Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, appreciated King’s College management for the honour bestowed on the renowned legal colossus.
Prof. Olarinde added that the investiture bore an eloquent testimony that Babalola was an “uncommon exemplar of the power of transformative and purposeful education in Nigeria, Africa, and the World at large”.
She added that the fellowship award has thus become a further acknowledgment of the academic excellence and quality inherent in ABUAD.
