Rotimi Idris
The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola has bagged the fellowship award of King’s College, London for his contribution to transformative education in Nigeria and globally.
The legal icon was conferred with the award on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, at a ceremony held in the institution.
Speaking with journalists, the elder statesman said he considered it a great honour to receive the prestigious honorary fellowship, insisting that quality, standard and functional education is the best option for Nigeria.
His words, “King’s College, London, is a respected college of the University of London.
“In year 2015, i received honorary Doctor of Laws from University of London, for which I am eternally grateful. However, receiving this latest 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, King’s College, London.
“As most of you already know, my Standard Six Certificate at Emmanuel Primary school, here in Ado-Ekiti, was all the formal education that my parents could afford.
“But for Woisey Hall, Oxford, the longest established institution, correspondence courses, ranging from Ordinary and Advanced Level subjects to Degrees, in over 120 countries, I would never have gone beyond primary Six”, he said.
However, the legal luminary expressed regrets over the proliferation of illegal institutions and study centres that had long deviated from their original conceptualization and intent, calling on government and National Universities Commission (NUC) to close them down.
On her part, 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 the society.
“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 the society at large or King’s College, London”. She said
Earlier, the Governor of Ekiti, Biodun Oyebanji, hailed the giant strides of the founder, 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.
Earlier in her address of welcome, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, thanked King’s College, London for the honour on ABUAD founder.
According to her, the investiture, was most befitting, as it was in recognition of Babalola’s efforts in education, and other areas of life.
She described Babalola as ‘the exemplar of the power of transformative education’ in Nigeria, and African continent.