Legal colosus and elder statesman, Afe Babalola SAN was on Thursday greeted with a treat of great applause by both staff and students of his Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) who trooped out to rejoice with him.
It is reported that as early as 9:30 am, the entire university community was already engulfed in the frenzy of scores of individuals who gathered to capture a glimpse at the man many described as an emblem of mountainous attainments.
Babalola, alongside a couple of top Nigerians had last week, been so honoured in London with the award, which was just one in the series, culminating in the resolve by the university staff and students, in collaboration with special invited guests to replicate same, back home in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Afe Babalola expressed profound gratitude to God for what he referred to as height of his fulfillment.
According to him, the fulfilment, following the conferment of the 2026 Icon Man of the Year Award by a London-based Nigerian media platform, Triangle International Magazine.
He described the recognition as a moment that made him feel ‘on top of the world’.
He reflected on his journey, from a humble background, to becoming one of Nigeria and Africa’s most respected legal practitioners and educationists.
The elder statesman noted that the honour, also symbolises the impact of his lifelong commitment to education, particularly through the establishment of ABUAD.
According to him, the motivation to establish the university, stemmed from his personal experiences, growing up without adequate access to formal education.
Babalola revealed that financial constraints, prevented him from receiving classroom education beyond Standard Six, which later inspired his resolve to create opportunities for others, through quality education.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria explained that while he handled high-profile legal cases during his career, without receiving notable awards, saying the establishment of the university had attracted widespread recognition from different parts of the world.
He attributed the increasing accolades, to the dedication and hard work of the institution’s students and staff, whom he praised for contributing to the university’s growing reputation.
Babalola urged students to remain determined and confident in their abilities, stressing that their backgrounds should never limit their aspirations.
“You asked me how do i feel today, I’m on top of the world. This is important, but the importance of it lies in what i believe in, and why a few years ago, i decided to establish a university. It was because i knew where I started.
“In my wishy-washy home where i obtained tuition, there was no money for me to go to an ordinary school. So i wake up every day and ask myself: what can i do to thank God and please God for what i have done in my lifetime?
“Honestly, that is the question i ask myself. I ask God every evening when I want to sleep and every morning when I wake up. If somebody does you a good turn, in return, you also have to do something. What can I do to thank God and please God for what I have done in my lifetime? What can I do?
“That was why we started this university a few years back. Education was our priority, and yet I never received any classroom education beyond Standard Six”, he said.
Continuing, he said, “Now, we are receiving almost every day, awards from all persons in the world. That is because I started a university when I was a lawyer. I was a Senior Advocate; It was a big deal then. But now, because of my students, I am receiving these awards.
“When I won cases worth one million or two million, I didn’t get an award. But now we have a university with credible students and we are getting awards every day.
“Without a doubt, in the last ranking of all universities in the world, our university was number one in Nigeria, and it has been number one in Nigeria for three years consecutively”.
Babalola, in a letter, earlier notifying him about the award, sent to him , and signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Triangle International Magazine, Olufemi Salako said the magazine’s nomination and selection committee, unanimously chose Babalola for the award, based on his outstanding leadership, visionary impact and enduring contributions to Nigeria and the African continent.
According to him, the award, which is part of the activities, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the magazine, is reserved for the legal icon, whose lifetime achievements, demonstrate exceptional leadership and transformative influence on society.
Salako noted that the committees considered Babalola’s remarkable accomplishments in legal practice, educational innovation, philanthropy and institution building, describing his contributions as a model of transformative leadership.
He also highlighted Babalola’s personal investment in the development of Nigeria’s educational sector, which has proven to having a lasting impact on the country, and inspired generations of scholars, leaders and reformers across Africa.
