Afe Babalola, the Founder of Afe Babalola University at Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) in Ekiti State, has emphasized the importance of quality education in Africa’s quest for global relevance. According to Babalola, Africa must invest heavily in quality education to regain its lost grounds and become a key player in global affairs.
Babalola noted that civilization began in Africa, not Europe or America, and wondered how the continent lost its ground and became underdeveloped. He insisted that neither America nor Europe is superior to Africa, and attributed his change of mindset about Europe’s superiority over Africa to his education.
The legal icon spoke at ABUAD in Ado-Ekiti at a public lecture organized in honor of a visiting delegation from the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa. He said, “The first civilization was not in Europe, Australia, Britain, or America; it was in Africa. The first knowledge of mathematics and science also originated from Africa. We lost our ground, and I don’t know why.”
Babalola believes that education is the key to achieving Africa’s rightful place in the world. He stated, “When I was young, I thought Europe was superior to Africa. But after going through education, I changed my mind. I believe we can achieve our rightful place in the world through education.”
