World Orisa Congress appoints Afe Babalola as Patron
Tunde Olofintila
The Elder statesman and Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, LL’ D (London), Fellow, King’s College, London, FNAE, has been appointed a Patron of the World Orisa Congress, WOOCON, a body with tentacles in Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Columbia, South Carolina and Benin as well as Trinidad & Tobago.
The cheering news contained in a letter dated March 25, 2026, and signed by the Secretary, Board of Trustees of WOOCON, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, FCIA, Frpa, has thus increased to three the Patrons of the Congress. The other two Patrons are the literary guru and Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and former Vice Chancellor of the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Prof. Wande Abimbola.
Presenting the letter of appointment to Babalola in his office in Ado-Ekiti over the weekend, Ajiboye who led a three-man team to Ado-Ekiti predicated Babalola’s appointment on what he acknowledged as his (Babalola’s) “enduring contributions to education, culture, jurisprudence and national development”. The other members of the team are Princess Fadekemi Ogunwusi from the Ooni’s palace and Mr. Ajoyemi Osunleye, the Ooni’s Ambassador in South America.
According to Ajiboye: “The World Orisa Congress is a global platform dedicated to the preservation, promotion and advancement of Orisa tradition, indigenous knowledge systems and African spiritual heritage”.
He added: “As we continue to position WOOCON as a unifying and intellectually vibrant forum, we recognize the importance of distinguished personalities whose wisdom, integrity and cultural depth can guide and inspire our mission.
“Your remarkable scholarship, deep appreciation of African values and unwavering commitment to the promotion of indigenous knowledge makes you an ideal choice for this esteemed role”.
Ajiboye expressed confidence that Babalola’s rich antecedent coupled with his association with WOOCON will not only lend credibility and prestige to the Congress, but it will also enrich its intellectual and cultural discourse.
Pinpointing Babalola’s role as a Patron of WOOCON, Ajiboye said: “As Patron, your role will be largely advisory and symbolic, providing moral support, guidance and occasional counsel as we advance the objectives of the Congress on both national and international stages”.
Commenting on his team’s tour of the university’s serene campus, the ABUAD Enterprise Farms, acknowledged as the “biggest and best by any university in Nigeria”, the Independent Power Plant, its bourgeoning 124-unit Small, Medium and Large-scale Industrial Park and its Herbarium as well as its ultra-modern 400-bed Hospital which has been endorsed by leading Healthcare Stakeholders as the “most well-equipped Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa”, Ajiboye commended Babalola’s philanthropic vision of establishing the 16-year-old university in the first place.
An obviously impressed Ajiboye said: “I have gone round the university, the Hospital, the Industrial Park, the Independent Power Plant and the Farm. I am more than impressed that all what I saw were put together by only one man, our own Baba Aare Afe Babalola.”.
He added: “What Aare Afe Babalola has done is out of his love for his people and the advancement of their course because he could have used his resources for the comfort of his family. However, he is not that type of person. He is altruistic and he loves his people. He loves humanity.
“Baba, with what I saw during the extensive tour of the university, I have no doubt that you have realized your ambition. You have even surpassed your dreams and for this you deserve to be celebrated as a deity because you have made a success of your dream”.
In his response, Babalola, a former Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, commended the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Babatunde Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, for promoting WOOCON and for being the father of all.
His words: “The Ooni is a very progressive man. I respect and love him. There is nothing we do here in this university that His Imperial Majesty does not honour us with his esteemed presence for which we are grateful. His rule has brought progress to Obaship and the Yoruba Nation.
“The Ooni is a special being. He is the rallying point of the Yoruba Nation. What you are doing in WOOCON is just an extension and a propagation of Ooni’s philosophy. Because of this, no one needs to persuade me to be part of this noble project as epitomized by WOOCON. I am all yours. I will support you in this project in all ways, including financially.
“I am a Yoruba man to the core and I habour this believe that the Yoruba Nation was one of the most advanced in those days. However, the Slave Trade robbed us of many of our virtues. But all hopes are not lost because I established this university to regain some of those things we have lost in time past. We must all unite to regain our lost glory.
“I am therefore not surprised at the June 18, 2026, ratings of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings which rated our university, ABUAD, as No. 1 University in Nigeria for four consecutive years: 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 and one of the Best 100 Universities globally.
“I accept this appointment wholeheartedly and I will contribute in diverse ways to ensure its success. Our Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, is a man of vision and a clear leader.
In her welcome address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde congratulated WOOCON, a body with tentacles in Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Columbia, South Carolina and Benin as well as Trinidad & Tobago, for appreciating Babalola’s sterling contributions in the realm of education, culture, jurisprudence, national development, philanthropy, Agriculture and industrialization.
She emphasized that the university is ready to partner with WOOCON.
Olofintila, ABUAD’s Director of Corporate Affairs, writes from Ado-Ekiti