Nurturing African leadership through education
The Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education is committed to expanding access to world-class learning opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Established through the generosity of visionary philanthropist Aare Afe Babalola and supported by the academic excellence of King’s College London, the Centre collaborates with universities and organisations across the continent to co-create flexible, high-quality programmes that meet learners’ needs wherever they are.
Rooted in the belief that education should be shaped by those it serves, the Centre champions a model of transnational education that is grounded in local contexts, led by African expertise and designed to unlock opportunity at scale. By training educators and creating diverse and recognised learning pathways, we help young people across Africa develop the skills, confidence and mindset to become leaders, innovators and changemakers in their communities.
Aare Afe’s journey
Born into a modest farming family in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, Aare Afe grew up believing education was unaffordable to him. Everything changed when he discovered he could study from home through distance learning programmes.
Enrolling at Wolsey Hall, Oxford, he earned his A-Levels and went on to complete degrees in Economics and Law from London universities. In 1963, he was called to the Bar in England. This was milestone that marked the beginning of a distinguished legal career.
Today, Aare Afe is recognised internationally for his contributions to the legal profession. He established the Afe Babalola Centre to extend to young Africans the same life-changing opportunities that shaped his own success.
To realise this vision, he partnered with King’s, a global leader in higher education with extensive expertise in digital and distance learning. United in the belief that education is a powerful tool to tackle poverty, inequality and societal divisions, the Centre is committed to empowering young people and transforming futures across Africa.