The Founder & Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, ABUAD,
Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Nigeria American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) for his exceptional contributions to Education, Law, Philanthropy, Agriculture, Community Development and Healthcare.
The event also coincided with the inauguration of Alhaji Sheriff Balogun as the Chamber’s 20th National President, the unveiling of NACC multi-storey Headquarters project, the induction of 52 new members, and an Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding Nigerians, American individuals and some notable companies.
A statement by Tunde Olofintila, Director, Corporate Affairs said the Award which was presented at the NACC’s 65th-anniversary Gala and Presidential Inauguration Dinner, held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, was themed “The Power of Co Operation: 65 Years of Optimizing Nigerian American Economic Relations”.
Babalola’s latest Award is coming on the heels of the maiden Afe Babalola Day on October 18, 2024, which was held in appreciation of what was acknowledged as Babalola’s “unalloyed commitment to public service with regard to Law, Education, Health, Community Development, Agriculture and display of generosity to those that might be fortunate to come across him in life” and his induction into the Ondo Development Committee’s Hall of Fame on December 7, 2024 for what the people of Ondo Kingdom acknowledged as his “modest contributions to the legal profession”.
Other reasons adduced for the Award include what NACC acknowledged as Babalola’s extraordinary contributions to the development of education, the legal profession and philanthropy in Nigeria, his vision and commitment to establishing ABUAD, regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading institutions, have transformed higher education in the country and his decades of legal excellence and unwavering dedication to justice, as well as your significant philanthropic endeavours continue to inspire generations.”
Receiving the Award on behalf of the elder statesman, ABUAD Vice-Chancellor, Prof. E. Smaranda Olarinde, FCArb, FCAI, expressed deep gratitude to the organizers for appreciating the sterling qualities inherent in the Founder of ABUAD, a leading institution beyond Nigeria despite its relatively young age of 15 years as a university.
Specifically, Olarinde expressed Babalola’s profound appreciation to the NACC for selecting the former Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, for the Lifetime Achievement Award in Education, Law, Healthcare, Agriculture, Community development and Philanthropy in appreciation of what the Chamber described as Babalola’s “extra-ordinary contributions in various areas of human endeavour”.
Olarinde highlighted the university’s remarkable achievements under the visionary leadership of its Founder, including but not limited to the 2024 rankings by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which rated the 15-year-old university 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 for three consecutive years, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
During his inauguration, NACC’s 20th President, Alhaji Sheriff 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, and trade missions.
“My vision for the Chamber is founded on three pillars- Expansion, Innovation & Impact”.
The Chief Host, Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu of Lagos State, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Cooperatives, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose Medebem, commended the Chamber’s efforts and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and focus 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 former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, the late Ambassador Walter Carrington, the Founder and CEO of African Capital Alliance Limited, Mr. Richard Kramer and the 62nd Mayor of Houston, Texas, Mr. Sylvester Turner.
Founded in 1960, the NACC is West Africa’s oldest bilateral chamber, dedicated to facilitating trade and investments between Nigeria and the United States through high level dialogue, strategic missions, and member driven initiatives.