Afe Babalola, a prominent lawyer and university owner, has attributed the country’s increasing crime rate to poor educational standards.

The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, stated this on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti while receiving the management of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.

The EKSU management was led by its vice-chancellor, Joseph Ayodele.

The former pro-chancellor and chairman of the Council of the University of Lagos advocated for quality education as an antidote to all forms of criminality.

Mr Babalola stressed the need for systemic reforms to curb crime through quality education, in addition to mass youth empowerment.

“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,” he said.

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

ABUAD’s vice-chancellor, Smaranda Olarinde, lauded Babalola’s visionary leadership, commending him for establishing ABUAD as a trailblazer in critical areas, such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and quality healthcare and education.

She spotlighted what she called, ‘the peerless and paperless’ ABUAD Multi-System Hospital, the “most well-equipped hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa”, as the nation’s antidote to outward medical tourism.

“Our hospital recently achieved a medical milestone by successfully delivering twins for a 60-year-old woman. I visited and saw for myself the joy on the faces of members of the family. Our founder’s commitment to world-class healthcare is yielding the desired result,” Ms Olarinde said.

Speaking, the vice-chancellor of EKSU praised Mr Babalola as “an unrepentant philanthropist, who constantly adds value to society.”

He expressed admiration for the level of infrastructural development at ABUAD and called for collaboration between the two institutions in areas such as 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.

Mrs Christie Oluborode, ABUAD’s registrar, while expressing gratitude for the EKSU management’s visit, acknowledged Ayodele as the first EKSU vice-chancellor to lead a delegation to ABUAD in 42 years.

(NAN)