Renowned legal scholar and global vice chair of the International Law Association (ILA), Professor Damilola Sunday Olawuyi (SAN), has described Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) as a “national treasure” in recognition of his pioneering role in transforming education in Nigeria and Africa at large.
Olawuyi made this remark during the Arab-Africa Forum on Business and Human Rights held in Marakech, Morocco, while celebrating the latest achievements of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
ABUAD earned its place among the top academic institutions in the world by ranking 84th globally, 3rd in Africa, and maintaining its status as Nigeria’s best university for the fourth consecutive year from 2022 to 2025.
Stressing Aare Babalola’s contributions, Olawuyi, who also serves as ABUAD’s Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, commended the legal icon’s extraordinary dedication to educational excellence.
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| Professor Olawuyi |
“Nigeria’s Afe Babalola has shown us what is possible. He walked away from a successful legal career to return to Ado Ekiti and build a modern, globally competitive university from the ground up, ” Olawuyi said.
Describing Babalola as a “bold reformist” and “continental icon,” Olawuyi added, “We need at least one Afe Babalola in each of Africa’s 54 countries.
“The world would be transformed. But for now, there is only one, and he is proudly Nigerian.”
He urged African governments, investors, and global partners to support innovative institutions like ABUAD that drive research, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.
With greater backing, Olawuyi believes ABUAD could one day produce Nobel laureates and serve as a launchpad for Africa’s technological and economic breakthrough.
He also called on universities across Africa to emulate ABUAD’s model, encouraging intercontinental collaboration to accelerate educational transformation.
“Afe Babalola is a treasure not just to Nigeria, but to the entire African continent,” he concluded.
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