Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, has identified Nigeria’s declining educational standards as a key driver of the country’s escalating crime rate.

The legal luminary spoke at the weekend during a courtesy visit by a delegation from Ekiti State University (EKSU), led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Babatola Ayodele.

According to him, “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.”

Babalola challenged policymakers, institutions, and stakeholders to prioritise research grants, innovation, and academic excellence as critical tools for national progress.

In her welcome address, ABUAD’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, lauded Babalola’s visionary leadership, crediting him for establishing the university as a trailblazer in agriculture, pharmaceuticals and quality healthcare education and delivery.

She spotlighted the peerless and paperless ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, which leading healthcare stakeholders have endorsed as the “most well-equipped hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa” as the nation’s antidote to medical tourism.

Taking cognisance of the under-representation of women in the visiting EKSU delegation, the Vice Chancellor canvassed greater gender balance in leadership, just like in ABUAD, where the Vice Chancellor, Registrar and the Librarian are ladies among several leaders in the 15-year-old university.

Responding, the visiting VC praised Babalola as “an unrepentant philanthropist and proud alumnus, who constantly adds value to society.”

He expressed admiration for ABUAD’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, and called for deeper collaboration between the two institutions in agriculture, research and student exchange programmes.

“We have much to learn from ABUAD Farm. With 14 hectares of tomato farms at EKSU ready for harvest, we recognise the need to deepen expertise in agriculture, a vital sector for Nigeria’s future,” Ayodele remarked.