 |
Afe Babalola University is founded by Aare Afe Babalola, B.Sc (Econs) Lond; LL.B (Hons) Lond; FFPA, FNIALS, FCIArb, LL.D; Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); Doctor of Letters (LL.D); Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos, Nigeria; the immediate past Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, winner of the Best Pro-Chancellor award in 2005 and 2006, winner of Queen Victoria Commemorative Award at Socrates Award of European Business Assembly in Oxford UK; member of the Rector of Europe, October, 2007; Vice President, Rector of Europe, 2010; and Honorary Professor of International Univeristy. Aare Afe Babalola attended Emmanuel Primary School, Ado-Ekiti, where he obtained his standard six certificate. That was the end of his formal education. All the educational qualifications listed against his name above were obtained through private study. Aare Afe Babalola was at various times a pupil teacher, a secondary school teacher, secondary school vice principal, university lecturer, economist, auditor, administrator, farmer and educationist. Today, he is a foremost legal icon of his generation not only on the African continent but in the world. The self-made man is proud of the qualitative primary education he had. It was the high quality of instruction received by him at the Primary School level, he says, proudly, that served as the foundation for his subsequent educational achievements. The founder is unhappy that the same quality of education is no longer available in most educational institutions. |
This development and his experience of dwindling qualities on standard of education in the University of Lagos where he was the Pro-Chancellor between 2002 and 2007 and other universities usually regarded as the best in the country that informed him of the urgent need to establish a first class university to serve as a benchmark for other universities.
On the 1st of October, 2008, the turning of the sod ceremony was performed on the university site. In a record time of eight months, the imposing state-of-the-art structures were ready for commissioning.
The Founder deliberately named the University after himself in order to identify the University with those qualities which he is noted for. These qualities include tremendous industry, discipline, integrity, service and trustworthiness. Little wonder that on May 29, 2009 when a team of NUC assessors visited the site they said:
“I can only say that it is a miracle. This is one of the best things to have happened to university education in this part of the world.
“They have set a benchmark for other universities on the e-learning facility, which link the university’s classrooms with other universities across the globe for transfer of knowledge.
“The only challenge is that they have raised the bar for others seeking to establish private universities”.
The founder is a renowned philanthropist who has impacted positively on millions of lives through his numerous bench-mark donations to both public and private institutions. The University, which is incorporated as a “not-for-profit” institution so far marks the zenith of his philanthropic adventure.