₦airaland Forum

Afe Babalola, a celebrated Nigerian constitutional lawyer and founder of the prestigious Afe Babalola University, has recently found himself embroiled in controversy. What shocks many is not just his ongoing legal battles but the glaring irony of his philanthropic priorities. With a £10 million endowment to King’s College London to establish the Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education, Babalola appears to crave global recognition, even as his educational enterprise in Nigeria charges exorbitant fees that lock out many local students.

Is it not crazy, that we are borrowing massive loans from IMF and World bank. But Afe Babalola is giving out 10 million pounds charity to a 1st world country ??

This act smacks of a deeper issue: the self-perpetuating cycle of validation from Western institutions at the expense of one’s own community. While the King’s College center, laudable in its goals, may assist a handful of African students, one cannot ignore the disproportionate impact £10 million could have had if directed to his immediate Nigerian community. From bolstering rural schools to creating scholarships for underprivileged students in Ekiti, the ripple effects of such an investment would be transformative.

Babalola’s case is a microcosm of a larger problem—elite Nigerians who amass wealth locally but seek validation abroad. This narcissistic pursuit of accolades disregards the pressing needs of the communities that made such wealth accumulation possible. Ironically, in the UK, where his name is barely known, the very institution he donated to is now facing public pressure to sever ties over his alleged misuse of influence back home.

Furthermore, the fees charged at Afe Babalola University, often described as one of Nigeria’s most expensive private universities, create an exclusionary barrier for many young Nigerians. It is difficult to reconcile this with his outward claims of empowering African youth. True empowerment starts at home, not with a plaque in a foreign university’s hallway.

As his name is now mired in scandal, with threats of his donations being stripped of their honorific glow, one is left to question: for whom was this philanthropy really intended? Was it to uplift young Africans or to cement a legacy in the West that has little context for his contributions? The answers are as troubling as the narrative itself.

It’s time for Nigeria’s elites to re-evaluate the misplaced priorities of seeking external validation while neglecting local development. Charity, as they say, begins at home.

Politics is crazy.

This man has suffered from politics.

The same man owns a university in Ekiti, has given scholarships to many people, but because of politics it suddenly looks like he has never done anything.


Something similar happened years ago. He was one of a number of people that convinced government to set up a polytechnic in Ado-Ekiti.

Unfortunately, ten years ago, the polytechnic suffered from power failure. His university has its own power plant, so it had electricity at the time. He went to the polytechnic to see how he could help to solve the problem, but the students stoned his car and wanted to attack one of the hostels of the university because they were angry that it had power while they had none.

Was he the person that caused the power outage at the polytechnic?

The donation to Kings College is for transnational education. Afe Babalola was poor and he earned all his degrees through distance learning. The donation to Kings College is to enable Africans in Africa to also get degrees from Kings College, just like he did (Chief MKO Abiola did something similar in the 1980s, he endowed a scholarship programme in an American university for Africans to learn and get degrees for free).

https://thesun.ng/much-ado-about-afe-babalolas-10m-gift-to-london-college/

https://www.nairaland.com/1902415/angry-students-stone-afe-babalola

https://www.nairaland.com/6490096/abuad-awards-n476.8m-scholarships-best

https://punchng.com/afe-babalola-foundation-uplifts-poor/

That's precisely what I expected .

1) Someone hasn't given one kobo to Ekiti, but he is telling others how to spend their money.

2) Someone has given millions to Ekiti, but mr nobody who has not spent one kobo is acting like he hasn't given one kobo.

3) Someone endowed a programme for African students to get degrees in a foreign university, but he's acting like the money is for foreigners. You think it's Afe Babalola that will lose if that endowment is cancelled?

https://nairametrics.com/2023/03/28/afe-babalolas-10-million-donation-to-kings-college-london-sparks-criticism/

4) He doesn't even know that the thread is about politics and that says everything.

5) Most of all, I was expecting him to begin with an insult and he didn't disappoint. That was the highlight of his post for me and it made me happy.

naptu2:
Politics is crazy.

This man has suffered from politics.

The same man owns a university in Ekiti, has given scholarships to many people, but because of politics it suddenly looks like he has never done anything.


Something similar happened years ago. He was one of a number of people that convinced government to set up a polytechnic in Ado-Ekiti.

Unfortunately, ten years ago, the polytechnic suffered from power failure. His university has its own power plant, so it had electricity at the time. He went to the polytechnic to see how he could help to solve the problem, but the students stoned his car and wanted to attack one of the hostels of the university because they were angry that it had power while they had none.

Was he the person that caused the power outage at the polytechnic?

The donation to Kings College is for transnational education. Afe Babalola was poor and he earned all his degrees through distance learning. The donation to Kings College is to enable Africans in Africa to also get degrees from Kings College, just like he did (Chief MKO Abiola did something similar in the 1980s, he endowed a scholarship programme in an American university for Africans to learn and get degrees for free).

https://thesun.ng/much-ado-about-afe-babalolas-10m-gift-to-london-college/

https://www.nairaland.com/1902415/angry-students-stone-afe-babalola

https://www.nairaland.com/6490096/abuad-awards-n476.8m-scholarships-best

https://punchng.com/afe-babalola-foundation-uplifts-poor/

They want to start attacking this old man who has done so much for the educational in Nigeria.

Good thing the man is too old and unbothered about bullshit

Op and many like him, who are always quick to point accusing fingers or find fault in someone else should go and work hard to make their own money and then spend it rightly as they want instead of picking offence in how somebody else depends his or her money. Is the op and others like him only born to tell other people stories and find faults in others while they themselves and their families had never helped or made any public positive impacts than mere talking and criticizing others. It is not a must to comment on current issues; if you have nothing sensible to say, just keep reading and pass without vomiting rubbish online to look more foolish.

Bag of My Choice rice is currently 105k.
Both Afe Babalola and Dele Farotimi should get lost and stop distracting Nigerians from the current hardship facing the country.

Nonsense

malali:
Afe Babalola, a celebrated Nigerian constitutional lawyer and founder of the prestigious Afe Babalola University, has recently found himself embroiled in controversy. What shocks many is not just his ongoing legal battles but the glaring irony of his philanthropic priorities. With a £10 million endowment to King’s College London to establish the Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education, Babalola appears to crave global recognition, even as his educational enterprise in Nigeria charges exorbitant fees that lock out many local students.

Is it not crazy, that we are borrowing massive loans from IMF and World bank. But Afe Babalola is giving out 10 million pounds charity to a 1st world country ??

This act smacks of a deeper issue: the self-perpetuating cycle of validation from Western institutions at the expense of one’s own community. While the King’s College center, laudable in its goals, may assist a handful of African students, one cannot ignore the disproportionate impact £10 million could have had if directed to his immediate Nigerian community. From bolstering rural schools to creating scholarships for underprivileged students in Ekiti, the ripple effects of such an investment would be transformative.

Babalola’s case is a microcosm of a larger problem—elite Nigerians who amass wealth locally but seek validation abroad. This narcissistic pursuit of accolades disregards the pressing needs of the communities that made such wealth accumulation possible. Ironically, in the UK, where his name is barely known, the very institution he donated to is now facing public pressure to sever ties over his alleged misuse of influence back home.

Furthermore, the fees charged at Afe Babalola University, often described as one of Nigeria’s most expensive private universities, create an exclusionary barrier for many young Nigerians. It is difficult to reconcile this with his outward claims of empowering African youth. True empowerment starts at home, not with a plaque in a foreign university’s hallway.

As his name is now mired in scandal, with threats of his donations being stripped of their honorific glow, one is left to question: for whom was this philanthropy really intended? Was it to uplift young Africans or to cement a legacy in the West that has little context for his contributions? The answers are as troubling as the narrative itself.

It’s time for Nigeria’s elites to re-evaluate the misplaced priorities of seeking external validation while neglecting local development. Charity, as they say, begins at home.

"Babalola’s case is a microcosm of a larger problem—elite Nigerians who amass (illegal) wealth locally but seek validation abroad."

You've spoken well✅