By Tunde Olofintila
Legal Juggernaut and Elders Statesman, Aare Afe Babalola has bagged the Honorary Fellowship of King’s College, London, in appreciation of his numerous and continued contributions to education in particular and humanity in general
The Founder and Chancellor of the increasingly famous Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, was conferred with the Award at a colourful ceremony held in his University in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
Speaking at the event, the Vice President, International Engagement and Service of King’s College, London, Prof. Funmi Olonisakin, FKC, said the Fellowship Award conferred on Babalola was in recognition of the transformative contributions of the legal luminary to education and the the society at large
Said Olonisakin: “We are here to award the fellowship of King’s College, London to Aare Afe Babalola. The fellowship is typically given to people who have made transformative contributions to the society at large or King’s College, London”.
In his acceptance speech, Babalola said he considered it a great honour to receive the prestigious Honorary Fellowship, insisting that there nothing in the world which can compare with quality and standard education.
He said when he received notice of invitation for the Award from the President of King’s College, Lord Geidt, it was written that ” the award is made only to individuals, who have had a transformative impact on the college, through quality of their work, or activities, or whose accomplishments, are exceptional, and align with King’s aspirations and values”.
According to Babalola, “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.
He however expressed regrets that the biggest menace facing education today, especially in Nigeria and across Africa, is the proliferation of mushroom institutions and Study Centres that had long deviated from their original conceptualisation and intent. He therefore asked governments at all levels to do something drastic about the ugly situation in order to put the menace at bay.
Earlier, the Governor of Ekiti, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, hailed Babalola’s giant strides in Medicine Medical Education, Law, Agriculture, Industry and Invention as well as in the Sciences.
Oyebanji who was represented by the State’s newly appointed Head of Service, Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, said Babalola’s 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.
On her part, the Vice President, International Engagement and Service of King’s College, London, Prof. Funmi Olonisakin, said the Fellowship Award conferred on Babalola was in recognition of the transformative contributions of the legal luminary to the society.
Her words: “We are here to award the Fellowship of King’s College, London to Aare Afe Babalola. This Fellowship is typically given to people who have made transformative contributions to the society at large or King’s College, London”.
Earlier in her Welcome Address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, who is also a member of the Governing Board of the Association of African Universities, AAU and Vice President of the National Association of Artificial Intelligence Practitioners, 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 human endeavour.
She described Babalola as “the exemplar of the power of transformative education in Nigeria and African continent”.
* Olofintila, ABUAD’s Director of Corporate Affairs writes from Ado-Ekiti
