Key Highlights
- Chief Afe Babalola has donated £10 million towards the establishment of a learning center at King’s College in London.
- The donation is intended to create the Afe Babalola African Centre for Transnational Education at King’s College.
- Babalola’s goal is to provide education and opportunities to young Africans who might not otherwise have access.
Chief Afe Babalola, the Nigerian lawyer and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, has faced severe criticism for his donation of £10 million towards the establishment of a learning center at King’s College, London.
The donation is intended to create the Afe Babalola African Centre for Transnational Education at King’s College, which Babalola says is part of his effort to provide education and opportunities to young Africans who might not otherwise have access.
Why Afe Babalola is being criticised
EzekielOla21 said: “What of his Ekiti State? Don’t they need money for development there anymore?”
TrueAFICIONADO said: “10 million pounds that is about 9 billion naira which can be used to build and equip schools in the poor areas for poor children in Nigeria sent to the same country that we are borrowing from. Hmmmm . We really have leaders in Nigeria.”
@ctechdesign1 said: “Well, u can’t tell someone how to spend his money because it is not ur business. And u don’t know why he chose to spend it that way. But frankly speaking, is this not better spent in your own country Nigeria or at least in Africa. And not to our colonial masters country.”
JideAkintunde1 said: “How much has be donated to support children that are out of school?How much has he donated to as charity to young/adultsl who intend to go to school but their parents can’t afford to pay their tuition fees?”
Realhonour199 said: “Afe Babalola gifting £10m to London college is unwise at this time that many colleges, unis in 9ja are sufferíng due to poor funding. Cases of students sitting/lying on the floor to learn, unis/polys without equipped lab, community schools without roof/windows are on the increase.”
OkwunnaU said: “Why London? when will Africans come home? Hasn’t Africans supported London/Britain enough?. You called it African Learning centre yet you’re establishing it outside Africa that tantamount to learning how to swim in Sahara desert. Wake-up Africans.”
Afe Babalola’s Philanthropic gestures in Nigeria
Afe Babalola is known for his philanthropic activities, his passion for development in general is matchless as exemplified in his service to community through donations of over N2 billion. Some of his philanthropic efforts are highlighted below.
- Financed and donated the imposing multi-million Afe Auditorium to University of Lagos. The building was commissioned by President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR in 2006.
- Financed and donated a multi-million Naira building for African Heritage Library at Olorunda-Aba Road, Ibadan.
- Donated a multi-million Naira Nuclear Medicine Building to UCH Ibadan.
- Constructed a multi-million Naira model BAR Centre for the Nigerian Bar Association, Ibadan Branch at Ibadan.
- Made substantial financial contribution to PREMI an organization for the Rehabilitation of Prisoners.
- Initiated Endowment Fund Scheme in University of Lagos. The annual income from capital investment of donation is being used to award scholarships to students in the University of Lagos. Five hundred scholarships were awarded in February 2006 under the Chairmanship of President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. It is the first of its type in the history of our universities.
- Initiated the BOT system under which hostels worth hundreds of millions of Naira are being constructed for the University of Lagos.
- Contributed more than 10% of the money to finance the construction and take-off of Ado-Ekiti Federal Polytechnic.
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