FG Must Act: Afe Babalola Advocates Closure Of Low-Quality Tertiary Institutions

The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Afe Babalola, has called on the federal government to shut down all tertiary institutions across the country operating below the minimum standard.

Babalola made the call on Thursday, July 18, in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital while being conferred with a fellow of King’s College, London, for his superlative and immense contributions to the development of education and humanity.

The legal luminary said that the National Universities Commission (NUC) must beam its searchlight on substandard institutions in the country to ensure the quality of teaching and learning as well as curb the problem of poor educational output.

He said: “The biggest menace, facing quality education today, especially in Nigeria and across Africa, is the proliferation of mushroom, satellite institutions and campuses, including study centres that have long deviated from their original conceptualization and intent.

“What we expect is for the National University Commission (NUC) to close down mushroom universities. There are many such institutions that had been pronounced illegal by authorities, but which are still operating, allegedly, and which commenced operations, even, without the permission of NUC.

“I recall that the NUC once published their names. But why don’t they arrest owners of such illegal universities, why don’t they close them down?

“Why can’t they make the staffs of such universities, face punishment, and put them before the court of law, and yet, they are even building new ones every day.”

He further asked the NUC to ensure that any would-be tertiary institutions meet up with the standardized requirements before they are granted approvals for operation.

Earlier, the King’s College Vice President of International Engagement and Service, Professor Funmi Olonisakin said that the fellowship award, conferred on Babalola, was in recognition of his transformative contributions to education advancement and society.

“We are here to award the fellowship of King’s College, London to Aare Afe Babalola, whose fellowship is typically given to people who have made transformative contributions to the society at large or King’s College, London”, she said

The ABUAD Vice Chancellor, Professor Smaranda Olarinde, appreciates the King’s College management for the outstanding honour bestowed on the renowned legal colossus.

Olarinde added that the investiture bore an eloquent testimony that Babalola was an “uncommon exemplar of the power of transformative and purposeful education in Nigeria, Africa, and the World at large.