• Afe Babalola donated 10 million euros to establish a learning center at King’s College.

• This philanthropic initiative would strengthen the ties between European and African educational partners.

Nigerian SAN and founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola recently donated 10 million euros to the establishment of a learning center at King’s College in London called the Afe Babalola African Center for Transnational Education.

The vision driving this institution is based on the power of education to empower and enable Africa’s talented young people to make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world, as it will enable young Africans to access education and opportunities which they would otherwise not be able to have.

Afe Babalola is a legal practitioner and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria which is the highest rank in the legal profession in Nigeria. The 93-year-old started as a litigation lawyer and has risen to the limelight, occupying the position of the Best Pro-Chancellor Universities in Nigeria for two consecutive times. He is the founder of a one-time second-best private university, Afe Babalola University, and 17 of 136 universities in Nigeria.

According to King’s College in a statement, the new center would offer blended and online programmes and also offer post-graduate level modules that can be brought together to create professionally recognized qualifications from diplomas to master degrees. Together with other financial partners, Babalola’s donation will pay scholarships for deserving students who would not otherwise be able to enroll in these programmes.

The statement also reads that “a bespoke programme for Africa will be developed in partnership with the University of London and an alliance of leading African Universities. The modules will focus on topics that give talented young people society-relevant knowledge and skills that can improve their own lives, their communities, and their future – such as law, health, engineering, peace and security, and leadership”.

According to Babalola in the statement, the project was inspired based on his ability to remotely secure a degree from the University of London as he did not have an opportunity to attend physical classes. He described literacy as the solution to many societal ills, noting that the project was in line with his passion for providing quality education. “Education is the unquestionable panacea to ignorance, poverty, extremism, religious bigotry, and tribalism among other vices”, he said.

The President of King’s College, Shitij Kapur commended Afe Babalola for this initiative and noted that the new center was timely and would strengthen ties between European and African educational partners.