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Inioluwa Ogunleye
2 weeks ago
Overview
The founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), on Thursday lamented the low level of women’s recognition in Nigeria, calling for a change of attitude.
The legal luminary and elder statesman said this at an event organised by the university to mark the 2025 edition of International Women’s Day Celebration.
He expressed concern that the age-old discrimination against women has reached an alarming rate, such that many still believe that there is no need to even educate a woman, on the erroneous notion that women’s education ends in the kitchen.
“When, as a young adult, I was admitted into the infant class at Emmanuel School, Ado-Ekiti, in 1937, we were 25 in number; there were only five girls among us, and only one of them completed the eight-year programme, leading to a primary six certificate.
“As a result of my experience, things have changed since then, especially with my university, ABUAD, where today, girls outnumber boys in figure,” Babalola said.
Speaking further, Babalola said, “Most interestingly, during convocation ceremonies, those who come up with First Class in all courses are women, in the ratio of about nine girls to just one boy.
“It is such that, at a time, it once occurred to me that I should change the university to a girls-only university.
“As a matter of fact, as I speak, I made sure the Vice Chancellor, the Registrar, the Librarian, among several others, are all women, and the good news is that they are all performing very well,” he said.
He expressed delight that since the late 19th century, there was a movement in civilised countries to form from a world population to fight for women’s rights, which today is now known as International Women’s Day.
