From Farm Boy In Ado-Ekiti To Legal Giant, Kemi Akinyemi Tells The Untold Afe Babalola Story In New Book

A new book is bringing the full story of one of Nigeria most respected men to life, and it is already generating conversations across law, education and philanthropy circles.

The ELITES Magazine Publisher, Kemi Akinyemi, has unveiled her latest work, Afe Babalola, SAN: A Dynamo of Excellence in Law, Education, Philanthropy and Farming, a deep and emotional portrait of Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, the lawyer, university founder, farmer and giver whose life has touched millions.

Akinyemi, a celebrated journalist and former Assistant Editor of TheNEWS magazine, did not write just a biography. She wrote a life manual, a story of how a boy from a poor farming home in Ado-Ekiti refused to let poverty decide his future.

Born without privilege, Babalola never attended a conventional secondary school. Many would have stopped there. He did not. Through private study, correspondence courses and sheer determination, he earned degrees in Economics and Law from the University of London, was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1963, and rose to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1987.

That journey alone would be enough for a book. But Akinyemi goes further.

The book traces how Babalola turned legal success into national service. His biggest gift to Nigeria, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, was born from a simple conviction, that Nigerian children deserve world-class education at home. Today ABUAD stands as one of the country leading universities, a living proof of what vision plus discipline can build.

Beyond ABUAD, the book documents years of quiet giving. Scholarships for poor but brilliant students. Buildings donated to universities, hospitals and professional bodies. Support for indigent entrepreneurs, farmers and communities across ethnic and religious lines.

Readers will discover the man behind the donations. The Centre for Nuclear Medicine at University College Hospital, Ibadan. Auditoriums for Law Faculties at University of Lagos and University of Ado-Ekiti. The African Heritage Library in Ibadan. Bar Centres for Nigerian Bar Association branches in Ibadan and Ado-Ekiti. Each project tells a story of a man who believes wealth means nothing if it does not lift others.

And then there is farming, his first love. From childhood, Babalola loved the soil. Today, his farms cover fish farming, poultry, piggery, teak plantations, food crops and cash crops. For him, farming is not a hobby, it is food security, jobs and dignity for rural Nigeria.

Akinyemi captures his philosophy in one powerful line, happiness is best experienced when you make other people happy. That belief runs through every chapter.

What makes the book even richer is the voices inside it. Tributes from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, former Chief Justices, Senior Advocates, academics, business leaders, friends and family members. Veteran journalist Dare Babarinsa wrote the foreword, titled The Seven Lives of Aare Afe Babalola, showing the many sides of a man who has lived law, education, farming, public service, administration and philanthropy in one lifetime.

The book also carries an exclusive interview where Babalola himself speaks openly about his humble beginnings, his struggle for education, his family, his love for agriculture, and why giving has become his greatest joy.

For Akinyemi, the message to young Nigerians is clear. Greatness is not about wealth, titles or status. It is about perseverance, integrity, discipline, hard work, and what you build for others after you are gone.

Afe Babalola, SAN: A Dynamo of Excellence in Law, Education, Philanthropy and Farming is more than a celebration. It is a reminder that one life, lived with purpose, can change a nation.