Mandela, I rated greatest self-made persons, says Afe Babalola

Seeks foreign partnership for manufacture of ABUAD herbal drugs

The Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola (SAN), yesterday, said that the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela and himself were recently rated as the most successful self-made men by the London University.

Babalola said that while Mandela resumed his LLB studies at the University of London during his imprisonment in 1962, he (Babalola) on the other hand attended Emmanuel Primary School, Ado-Ekiti after which he enrolled for the Senior Cambridge School Certificate examination by private study at Wolsey Hall, Oxford and later obtained the A’Level certificate of London University before he proceeded to London School of Economics where he received a bachelor’s degree in Economics.

The legal luminary gave the hint in Ado-Ekiti while playing host to delegates from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), led by its Deputy Director-General for Partnerships and Delivery, Kenton Dashiell.

He, however, sought partnerships from the United States (U.S.) and Europe in the manufacturing of drugs being produced at the ABUAD Research Centre using African herbs, which he said, were more potent, stronger, and more effective than those produced overseas.

The legal icon also called for private investors who are interested in investing in the university and assistance for grants from donor-agencies to further support the development of ABUAD.

“Those who know me know that I am a self-made man without a university education. My education ended in primary six, but I built on it.

Through private correspondence courses, I obtained two degrees from London University. About a week ago, the university where I took my correspondence degrees came out with a publication about their outstanding students who took correspondence to make it in life.

“The number one person was Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa. They said he was in prison and became a lawyer. The next person is Afe Babalola. They said this man was born into poverty, raised in poverty and passed Cambridge at home.”

Babalola, who highlighted ABUAD’s significant achievement in producing a certified product using local herbs to combat viruses, said: “We are seeking investors. ABUAD has grown beyond what you knew. We are looking for partnerships and grants to support us.”

The elder statesman praised IITA for visiting the institution, noting that their long-standing partnership has benefited the university in agriculture and other sectors, attributing the university’s beauty and structure to the influence of IITA, which he described as a “London in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, IITA’s Deputy DG commended the fruitful partnership between the Institute and ABUAD that began in 2012. He, therefore, gave the assurance that the Institute would continue to invest in ABUAD to not only rank among the top universities globally but the best in the world.