Afe Babalola, a legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ekiti State, was called to the Bar of England and Wales on 9 July 1963.
Revered legal giant, Afe Babalola, is 60 years at the Bar and will be celebrating the feat with a book launch and lecture on 10 July.
The nonagenarian and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State, was called to the Bar of England and Wales on 9 July 1963.
He “has trained over 1,000 lawyers, produced 25 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, including several Attorneys-General at the federal and state levels as well as judges up to the appellate courts,” according to a statement announcing activities lined up for the diamond jubilee ceremony.
His law firm, Emmanuel Chambers, founded in 1965, is touted as the largest in the country.
Kehinde Ogunwumiju, a partner and chair of the organising committee of the anniversary, said Mr Babalola “has made outstanding contributions to Nigerian Law and jurisprudence through his excellent advocacy in court and by authoring several law books.”
Mr Babalola was at some point the President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria, and has been invited by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on several occasions as Amicus Curiae, said Mr Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
He said the celebration of Mr Babalola’s 60th year at the Bar is scheduled at the Alfa Belgore Hall, ABUAD, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on 10 July.
Mr Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the theme of the lecture was designed to “set the tone for the Future of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria to birth a new constitutional Order where the laudable tenets of a working Constitutional Democracy will be better observed.”
Among the guests expected to attend the event are former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah, and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau.
The former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Reverend Mathew Hassan Kukah and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association Y.C. Maikyau SAN, FCIArb. are among the eminent Nigerians set to grace the sixtieth call to bar ceremony of the revered legal doyen, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, FNIALS, LL. D (London), FCIArb. The legal luminary and educationist had the privilege of being admitted to the Bar of England and Wales on July 9, 1963.
An advocate par excellence, Aare Afe Babalola has made outstanding contributions to Nigerian Law and Jurisprudence through his excellent advocacy in court and by authoring several law books. He was, at some point, the President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria. He has been invited by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on several occasions as Amicus Curiae. He has also trained over 1,000 lawyers and produced 25 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (the largest by any Law Firm in the country), including several Attorneys-General at the Federal and State Levels and Judges up to the Appellate Courts.
The events marking the celebration of the sixtieth call to bar anniversary of the legal luminary and great jurist will come up on 10th July 2023 at the Alfa Belgore Hall, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Afe Babalola Way, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The events are put together by Aare’s mentees, admirers, and beneficiaries to mark, in a grand style, the Diamond Anniversary of the uncommon phenomenon and leader at the bar.
Aare Afe Babalola is a committed educationist and a two-term Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, where he won the Best Pro-Chancellor Award twice, one-time Chairman of the Committee of Pro Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Aare Afe Babalola founded Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State (ABUAD), recently ranked by the highly respected Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as the Number 1 University out of the 221 universities in Nigeria and Number 321 globally.
In recognition of Aare Afe Babalola’s immense contributions to making the world a better place, he has been conferred with over 50 titles and Awards across the globe, including Honourary Doctor of Laws and Doctor of Letters from 10 universities, including the University of London, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan and the elite Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, the Zik Prize in Leadership, Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Award, the AU-ECOSOCC Leadership Award, as well as many traditional titles, humanity has unequivocally and loudly demonstrated that Aare Afe Babalola is a rare gem with all-time and all-round relevance to the world around him. The legend also holds the prestigious National Honours as the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
The crème-de-la-crème of the society will witness the festive event made up of members of the Bar and the Bench, Legal Academics, the Royalty, the Clergy, Delegates from the University of London, Delegates from King’s College London, and Captains of Industries as well as members of the Diplomatic Community.
The Anniversary Lecture titled “The Future of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria: Imperative of A New Constitutional Order” will be delivered by Bishop Mathew H. Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and an Honorary Alumnus of ABUAD and the Lecture will be chaired by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR.
In a statement by the Chairman of the organising committee, Kehinde Ogunwumiju SAN, the theme of the lecture is to set the tone for the Future of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria to birth a new Constitutional Order where the laudable tenets of a working Constitutional Democracy will be better observed. He said the lecture is scheduled for 10.00 a.m. at the Alfa Belgore Multi-purpose Hall, ABUAD.
According to him, the event will also feature Testimonials & Goodwill Messages from Friends, Admirers and Associates of Aare Afe Babalola and a Book Launch. The Chief Launchers are Dr Taiwo Afolabi, CON, Wema Bank, Fidelity Bank, Union Bank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, and Polaris Bank, among other launchers.
He also indicated that the money realised from the book launch will be channelled towards the construction of the ABUAD museum while the day’s activities will be rounded off with a celebration dinner with King Sunny Ade on the Band Stand by 7.00 p. m. at the same venue.