Afe Babalola

Afe Babalola was born in Ekiti State South Western Nigeria. He attended Emmanuel Primary School, Ado Ekiti.[5] He enrolled for the Senior Cambridge School Certificate examination by private study from Wolsey Hall, Oxford.[6] He 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.[7] He worked briefly at the Central Bank of Nigeria before he left to the University of London where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Law.[8] In 1963, he was called to the England bar, the same year he became a member of Lincoln's Inn, London.[9]

Afe Babalola began his career at Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, western Nigeria as a litigation lawyer at Olu Ayoola and Co, law firm.[10] In 1965, after two years of legal practice, he established his own law firm, Afe Babalola and Co. (Emmanuel Chambers).[11] In 1987, he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the highest rank in Legal profession in Nigeria.[12] In 2001, he was appointed, Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria.[13] He held the position till 2008 during which he emerged as best Pro-Chancellor of Nigerian Universities consecutively in 2005 and 2006.[14] In 2009, he established Afe Babalola University to promote education in Nigeria. In 2013, the university was ranked the second best private university in Nigeria and 17 of 136 universities in Nigeria.[15]

Babalola is married to Modupe Mercy Babalola. He has nine children, including Bolanle Austen-Peters.[16]