Aare Afe Babalola Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at Nigerian‑American Chamber of Commerce’s 65th Anniversary

• Bamofin of Yorubaland honoured for outstanding performance in areas of Education, Law, Philanthropy, Agriculture, and Healthcare

Aare Afe Emmanuel Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado‑Ekiti (ABUAD), was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Nigerian‑American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) for his exceptional contributions to education, law, philanthropy, agriculture, and healthcare.

The award was presented to the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. E. Smaranda Olarinde, FCArb, FCAI, who received it for His Excellency, Afe Babalola, at the NACC’s 65th-anniversary gala and presidential inauguration dinner, held on Saturday April 12, 2025, at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island. Themed: “The Power of Co‑Operation: 65 Years of Optimizing Nigerian‑American Economic Relations”.

The event featured the inauguration of Alhaji Sheriff Balogun as the Chamber’s 20th National President, the unveiling of a multi-storey headquarters project, the induction of 52 new members, and an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements of Nigerian and American individuals and companies.

Leading a delegation to receive the award on behalf of the Bamofin of Yorubaland, the elegantly poised Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olarinde, in her goodwill message, expressed profound gratitude to the organizers, seizing the occasion to rejoice with the newly elected president and reaffirmed that ABUAD remains a leading institution beyond Nigeria.

She highlighted the university’s remarkable achievements under the visionary leadership of its founder, noting that ABUAD was ranked in 2024 by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as No. 1 in the world in SDG 7, No. 1 globally in Outreach with a score of 98%, No. 1 in Stewardship with a score of 98.2%, No. 4 on the African continent, and No. 1 among all 264 federal, state, and private universities in Nigeria in three consecutive years.

During his inauguration, President Balogun emphasized the Chamber’s legacy of fostering bilateral trade and economic development and pledged to build on this foundation through strategic initiatives focused on Small and Medium Enterprises’ growth, export promotion, trade missions, among many other activities.

“My vision for the Chamber is founded on three pillars- Expansion, Innovation & Impact,” the Chamber’s President added.

The Chief Host, Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu of Lagos State, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose‑Medebem, commended the Chamber’s efforts and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, focused on continuous impact on Nigeria’s economy.

Among the 34 honourees were Prime Minister Americo D’Oliveira Dos Ramos of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe; Chief Michael Ade‑Ojo, CEO of Atlas Oranto Petroleum; Arthur Eze; and Chief Pius Akinyelure. The Chamber also paid posthumous tribute to the late Ambassador Walter Carrington, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria; Mr. Richard Kramer, founder and CEO of African Capital Alliance Limited; and Mr. Sylvester Turner, 62nd Mayor of Houston, Texas.

The occasion also brought together eminent dignitaries from all walks of life, including seven governors, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment- Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; traditional rulers led by the Emir of Zauzau- Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli; Captains of Industry, Chief Priscilla Kuye, the Chambers President between 1999 and 2003, along with other past presidents of the Chambers, and over 52 leading brands, united to celebrate over six and a half decades of championing the enhancement of Nigerian-American economic relations.

Founded in 1960, the NACC is West Africa’s oldest bilateral chamber, dedicated to facilitating trade and investment between Nigeria and the United States through high‑level dialogue, strategic missions, and member‑driven initiatives.

• Video clip of the Award reception at the Lagos Continental Hotels, venue of the event

FROM THE VC’s DESK