Aare Afe Babalola Honoured with Fellowship of the Nigerian Academy of Education: Celebration of Vision, Service, and Legacy

The Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Emmanuel Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, has once again been honoured for his exceptional contributions to education and national development.

This latest Fellowship of the Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) recognizes the Founder’s outstanding leadership, transformative impact, and lifelong commitment to redefining the landscape of tertiary education in Nigeria.

The formal presentation of the Fellowship, held in Abuja on Thursday, November 6, 2025, was yet another affirmation of Aare Afe Babalola’s stature as one of Africa’s foremost education visionaries. Representing the Founder at the ceremony was Prof. Christopher Aina, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), who described the honour as both well-deserved and symbolic of Aare Babalola’s enduring influence.

“Aare Afe Babalola is the Founder, Funder, Father, Farmer, and Fore-sighter of a new phase of university education in Nigeria,”- Prof. Aina.

Prof. Aina, who conveyed the Founder’s goodwill message at the Abuja event, expressed gratitude for the trust reposed in him to represent ABUAD’s visionary leader. “Sir, you are the initiator and the pillar of this new phase of higher education in Nigeria,” he added, noting that the award reaffirmed the Founder’s unparalleled contributions to education reform, moral regeneration, and sustainable development.

Receiving the delegation upon their return to Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola attributed the recognition to divine grace and the collective effort of the ABUAD community. In his characteristic humility, the Founder expressed gratitude to God for His mercies and to members of the university community for their continued commitment to excellence.

He also commended the vibrant turnout of staff and students who gathered to celebrate the honour, noting that their presence and dignified appearance reflected the culture of discipline and distinction for which ABUAD is globally known.

“ABUAD was not founded for profit but for purpose but to serve as a beacon of hope and a model of excellence in education across Nigeria, Africa, and beyond,” – Aare Afe Babalola

Aare Babalola further disclosed plans to introduce a comprehensive scholarship scheme that would benefit both Nigerian and international students. “Our scholarships will reach international students as well,” he said, underscoring his belief that access to quality education should transcend boundaries of geography and background.

The Founder reiterated ABUAD’s global aspiration, expressing optimism that the university will soon join the top 50 universities in the world. “With discipline, innovation, and prayer, I believe ABUAD will attain this goal,” he declared.

He also used the occasion to emphasize the indispensable role of education as the panacea for societal transformation, urging Nigerians to invest more in intellectual and moral capital. “Education remains the strongest tool for national rebirth,” he said.

In her address at the event, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. E. Smaranda Olarinde, FCArb, FCAI, described the Fellowship as a “most fitting recognition” of a man who has ceaselessly invested his intellect, resources, and influence in building human capacity and nurturing generations of leaders.

“This honour crowns decades of selfless service and enduring impact across the educational spectrum from policy advocacy to infrastructural transformation and holistic student empowerment,” expressed the Vice-Chancellor, ABUAD

She noted that the award reflects not only Aare Babalola’s personal achievements but also the institutional excellence that ABUAD represents under his visionary guidance. “He has shown that with the right leadership, private universities can be centers of innovation, ethical training, and national pride,” she added.

Also speaking, the university Registrar, Lady Christie Oluborode, likened the Founder to a “Golden Star” whose radiance continues to attract greatness to Ado-Ekiti and to Nigeria at large.

“This is another feather to the very crowded cap of our Founder. Ado-Ekiti may be in the western part of Nigeria, but it shines as a golden star that draws people from far and wide, just like the Star of Jesus that guided the wise men,”
says the Registrar.

The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE), established in 1985, serves as the apex body for Nigerian educationists whose opinions command the highest professional respect in the sector. Its Fellowship is awarded only to individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to the advancement of education in the country.

Over the years, Aare Afe Babalola has received numerous national and international honours, yet each recognition deepens his resolve to serve. From his humble beginnings to his rise as a legal icon, farmer, and educationist, his life story embodies the transformative power of vision, diligence, and faith.

https://thesun.ng/afe-babalola-bags-nigerian-academy-of-education-fellowship-award