…as Ekiti Kete Coalition USA honors his Impact
As Americans are celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day today, Monday 19th of January 2026, across the US to honor the life and legacy of the civil rights leader an indigenous group under the auspice of Ekiti Kete Coalition USA is also honoring a prominent Nigerian lawyer, philanthropist, and founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola.
The President of the group, Hon. Joseph Olugbamila in a statement paid tribute to Aare Afe Babalola’s remarkable achievements in education, law, and philanthropy which is making a lasting impact on Nigeria, echoing King’s message of justice, equality, and empowerment.
“Unequivocally speaking, I want to tell you that these two Revere leaders, Aare Afe Babalola and Martin Luther King Jr., have striking similarities in their commitment to justice, equality, and education.
They both fought tirelessly for justice and equality, with Aare Afe Babalola working to improving Nigeria’s legal system and Martin Luther King Jr. leading the charge against racial segregation in the US.
“Afe Babalola has done an incredible job transforming Nigeria’s educational landscape, especially with the establishment of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), which has become a benchmark for academic excellence in Africa.
ABUAD, ranked 84th globally, 3rd in Africa and 1st in Nigeria, according to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in 2025,” olugbamila recalled.
On the need to declare a particular day as Afe Babalola Day statewide, Hon. Olugbamila said that it was long overdue and appealed to the Ekiti State Assembly to passing a bill to that effect .
According to him, Afe Babalola Day celebration should be elaborate just like the government of the United States is celebrating MLK Day in the US.
“Today in US, Government offices, schools, and financial institutions will be closed, including the stock market and bond markets to celebrate this great man, so we should also celebrate our own Leader and father, especially now that he is still with us,” he said.
In her message, the Secretary of the Association, Hajia Opeyemi Oni also spoke on the Philanthropy and Community gesture of both leaders as reflected in the cooperative societies established by Aare Afe Babalola to support low-income earners and Martin Luther King Jr. advocacy for community service and volunteerism.
She further noted that both leaders demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision, inspiring others to work towards a common goal.
‘Baba Afe Babalola and Martin Luther King Jr. are men of strong will and character, reading through their biography one will discover that they both overcame challenges and became great in life. Our Baba rose from a humble farming background to become a renowned lawyer and educator, while Martin Luther King Jr. faced intense opposition and racism in his fight for civil rights’’. She said.
The coalition urges Ekiti State Government to declare Afe Babalola Day, recognizing his contributions to the development and liberation of humanity.
