Gets ILA’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, (SAN), has reiterated the need for increased focus on agriculture and sustainable food production as a first step in boosting intercontinental trade in goods and services across Africa.

He also emphasised the importance of entrepreneurial education and urgent need to accelerate Nigeria’s path towards sustainable development.

Babalola spoke after he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Nigerian branch of the International Law Association (ILA).

The award night was organised as part of the eighth yearly International Law Conference of the association held at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti.

He said that increased investment and education on agriculture would not only boost domestic food security, making Africa the food basket of the world, but also unlock foreign exchange earnings and foreign direct investments.

The event, which was moderated by the Chairperson of the Conference Planning Committee, Dr Adenike Akinsemolu, had in attendance several dignitaries and leading international law experts, including the President of the association, Prof. Damilola Olawuyi (SAN), Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment of The Gambia, who was special guest of honour at the event; Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof, the Gambia Ambassador to Nigeria, Muhamadou Musa Njie, and the Director of Trade, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Kolawole Sofola, among others.

However, the event reflects conversation on the extraordinary career of Babalola, who rose from humble beginnings to become a renowned lawyer, university administrator, farmer, philanthropist, winner of the Africa Man of the Year in Food Security (2014 and 2024), and the Founder of the prestigious Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD).

Babalola, who spoke on his foray into law, education and development, noted that his passion for transforming lives through high-quality education spurred in him a desire to contribute his own quota by establishing ABUAD to serve as a benchmark and model for world-class education.

Meanwhile, the ILA Emerging Star Award for an Outstanding Young Professional was presented to Emmanuel Latona Adedeji, an emerging international law scholar and member of the Young Members’ Committee of the ILA, while the ILA Service Award was presented to Ayodeji Asala, the President of the ABUAD chapter of the ILA.

President of ILA Nigeria, Prof. Olawuyi (SAN), while presenting the awards, noted that the ILA outstanding achievement medal is the highest and most prestigious award of the ILA, which is presented for outstanding lifetime contributions in the field of international law and diplomacy.

He said: “Recipients of this prestigious award represent Nigeria’s finest in terms of education, foreign policy and diplomacy.

“Aare Afe Babalola’s contributions to food security, education, law and nation building is truly remarkable and an inspirational example of everything we strive to do as international lawyers: to educate, to empower and to give back.

“We are greatly inspired by his exemplary dedication to international law and diplomacy, as well as his consistent track record of mentoring the next generation.”