Legal luminary and elder statesman, Afe Babalola, SAN, has attributed the increasing crime rate in the country to poor educational standards.
The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, (ABUAD) stated this on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti while receiving the management of the Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti(EKSU).
The EKSU management was led by it’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ayodele.
The former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of University of Lagos(Unilag) advocated for quality education as antidote to all forms of criminality.
Babalola stressed the need for systemic reforms, to curb crime, through quality education, in addition to mass youth empowerment.
“Half education is more dangerous than no education. Many of those engaged in criminal activities today are products of a failing educational system.
“We must urgently rewrite Nigeria’s educational narrative to foster national development and security,” he said.
He challenged policy makers, institutions and stakeholders to prioritise research grants, innovation and academic excellence, as critical tools for national progress.
In her welcome address, ABUAD Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, lauded Babalola’s visionary leadership, commending him for establishing ABUAD as a trailblazer, in critical areas, such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals and quality healthcare and education.
She spotlighted what she called, ‘the peerless and paperless’ ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, the “most well-equipped hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa”, as the nation’s antidote to outward medical tourism.
“Our hospital recently achieved a medical milestone by successfully delivering twins for a 60-year-old woman. I visited and saw for myself the joy on the faces of members of the family.
“Our founder’s commitment to world-class healthcare is yielding the desired result,” Olarinde said.
Speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of EKSU praised Babalola as “an unrepentant philanthropist, who constantly adds value to the society.”
He expressed admiration for the level of infrastructural development in ABUAD, and called for collaboration between the two institutions in areas of agriculture, research and student exchange programmes.
“We have much to learn from ABUAD Farm. With 14 hectares of tomatoes farms at EKSU ready for harvest, we recognise the need to deepen expertise in agriculture, a vital sector for Nigeria’s future”, Ayodele remarked.
Mrs Christie Oluborode, ABUAD’s Registrar, while expressing gratitude for the EKSU management’s visit, acknowledged Ayodele as the first EKSU Vice-Chancellor to lead a delegation to ABUAD in 42 years.