Dr Wale Babalakin: Celebrating A Man of Purpose @65

BY EMMANUEL AKANNI 

There are lives, and then there are legacies. For Dr. Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, SAN, OFR, who turns 65 on July 1, 2025, his life represents a journey of undeniably enduring legacies. For many, it is just another milestone.

“Was it not just 365 days ago that his 64th birthday was marked with family, friends, staff members and associates celebrating him?” such people would reason. But for those who have followed the extraordinary arc of the Ibadan-born legal luminary, astute businessman, philanthropist, and distinguished public intellectual, it is far more than a birthday celebration. It is a celebration of a life dedicated to the rigorous pursuit of excellence, a reaffirmation of the values of integrity, and a testimony to what one man can do with grace, grit, and uncommon brilliance.

To speak of Dr. Wale Babalakin, as he is fondly called, is to confront a paradox: a man intensely private and modest, yet profoundly public. From law to construction, from aviation to academia, and from business to philanthropy, he is a technocrat of great repute, whose actions echo loudly across sectors where he has left his footprints. He is a man with the Midas touch, best described as a lawyer who doubles as a dominant force in the business world. For him, law is his calling, business – one of his many hobbies.

The Ibadan years

Born on July 1, 1960, in Ibadan, to the late retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, esteemed Justice Bolarinwa Oyegoke Babalakin and Mrs. Ramotu Ibironke Babalakin, a pioneering female hospital proprietress, Dr. Babalakin was  raised in a household steeped in discipline, excellence, and service. He would later mirror and magnify those values both in his family, legal practice and business.

After his early schooling at Sacred Heart Private School and the prestigious Government College, Ibadan, he proceeded to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, for his A-levels. He was then admitted into the Faculty of Law at the University of Lagos in 1978, graduating as one of the top three students in 1981 at just 21 years old.

By 22 years old, he had been called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Then, in a move that foretold his intellectual ambition, he became one of only three Africans admitted into Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, for the pioneer Master’s in Law (LL.M). He earned the degree in 1983 and pressed forward to complete his PhD, on the eve of his 26th birthday. In less than 10 years, he had achieved such a scholarly feat that not many can boast of, thus setting the stage for a successful legal and entrepreneurial journey.

From thriving legal practice to business empire

Upon his return to Nigeria in 1986, Dr. Babalakin cut his teeth at the chambers of Chief Frederick Rotimi Williams, learning at the feet of one of Nigeria’s greatest legal minds. But he would not remain in anyone’s shadow for long; in 1987, he founded Babalakin & Co., now one of Nigeria’s leading law firms, known for its strong commercial and dispute resolution practice. The law firm is now a hub for elite lawyers, about 70 of them, carrying on Babalakin’s legacy of prowess, excellence and service. In 2002, he was deservedly elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and in 2007, conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), recognition not just of legal brilliance, but of national impact.

But to confine Dr. Babalakin to the legal corridor alone would be to miss the full picture. A polymath with a mind for infrastructure and an eye for detail, he ventured into business, building conglomerates that have contributed to Nigeria’s development and created jobs for thousands.

He is Chairman of Bi-Courtney Limited, the company responsible for the concession and construction of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), Nigeria’s first and most enduring public-private partnership in aviation infrastructure. Where governments saw a problem, Babalakin saw a possibility. The terminal, now in its 18th year, remains a gold standard for domestic air travel in Nigeria. He also chairs Stabilini Visinoni Limited, a leading construction firm, and Resort International Limited, a leisure and hospitality company.

Through Alma Beach Estates Limited, Amalgamated Trustees Limited, and Homan Engineering Company Limited, Dr. Babalakin has further expanded his footprint in Nigeria’s real estate and infrastructure sectors, as well as the construction sector. His work is not just about profit; it is about nation-building. He would have turned the Lagos-Ibadan Express into a world-class corridor for both road and rail transport with modern rest areas, service plazas, stations and malls, but for the government’s policy somersault.

A statesman who heeds calls to public service

Despite his business success, Dr. Babalakin has never hesitated to heed the call to public service. In 2005, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him a member of the National Political Reform Conference, where he served on the Legal Reforms Committee and chaired the Constitution Drafting Sub-Committee. He has also played a pivotal role in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), chairing both the Real Estate and Construction Law Committee under the Section on Business Law and the Government Practice Committee under the Section on Legal Practice.

His brilliance and versatility earned him further recognition as he was named Honorary Adviser to the Federal Government, alongside Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman, under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration.

His most transformative public role, however, has arguably been in academia. Babalakin served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council at the University of Maiduguri and later at the University of Lagos. As Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities, he played a central role in university governance and policy formulation.

He was appointed Chairman of the Implementation Monitoring Committee for the 2009 Federal Government agreements with university unions -ASUU, SSANU, NAAT, and NASU- and led the renegotiation efforts. Though challenging, he approached these roles with uncommon diligence and patriotic commitment.

An unpretentious philanthropist

In a country often plagued by performative generosity, Dr. Babalakin’s philanthropy stands out for its sincerity and scale. Through the Ramatu Ibironke Babalakin Foundation, named after his beloved mother, he has provided thousands of free eye treatments and surgeries across Osun, Ondo, and Kaduna States, restoring sight and dignity to the underserved.

His love for education is further reflected in his scholarship scheme, which has funded over 200 students in Nigerian universities and more than 40 students in foreign institutions. To him, education is not just empowerment; it is a legacy. He donated an 80-bed hostel to the University of Ilorin in honour of his father and a 500-seat auditorium to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in memory of his mother. In all this, he seeks no applause, only impact.

His country home, Gbongan, in Ayedaade Local Government of Osun State, is not left out of Dr. Babalakin’s benevolence, as the community has been lifted with a 6,000-seater conference facility with meeting halls to cater to any world-class gathering.

He is the President of the Government College Ibadan Old Boys Association. Under his leadership, the association has refurbished the school and restored it to its pride of place among great schools in Nigeria. There has been monumental structural reconstruction, academic rejuvenation and administrative empowerment, since Dr Babalakin assumed the leadership of the prestigious association.

In 2013, he received the Merit Award of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, alongside other national dignitaries, affirming the Islamic community’s recognition of his moral and material contributions to society.

A successful colossus at 65

At 65, Dr. Babalakin remains a man of calm intellect and relentless purpose. He is not one for social circuits or noisy self-promotion. Yet his impact resounds through airports, courtrooms, lecture halls, the construction industry and the lives of those he has quietly uplifted.

He represents a rare breed of Nigerian elite who have refused to be swallowed by mediocrity or seduced by the vanity of title. His walk has always been steadier than his talk, and his works speak with more authority than his words ever could. For him, life is not about titles but purpose and impact. Otherwise, his 65thbirthday should be hallmarked with fresh chieftaincy titles from the nooks and crannies of Yoruba land in particular and Nigeria in general.

To the younger generation, he remains a symbol of what is possible with focus and doggedness. To his peers, he is a steady hand and voice of reason. To Nigeria, he is an invaluable asset, an institution in himself.

Family, faith and foundations

Babalakin is married to Olugbolahan Babalakin, daughter of the late Justice Y.A.O. Jinadu, herself a lawyer and legal administrator. Together, they have raised a family grounded in faith, learning, and service.

He is a devout Muslim, committed to the ethical tenets of his faith, which are integrity, humility, and compassion. These values are evident in his dealings, his speech, and the way he carries his success: never gaudy, always grounded.

Still flying, still serving

While many at 65 slow down to smell the roses, Dr. Babalakin is still planting orchards. He remains active in business, in legal advisory and national discourse. His mind is still sharp; his vision still clear.

His law practice has recently relocated to a new, ocean-front edifice, marking the beginning of a new era for the firm while signposting a recommitment to excellence in service delivery, a value Babalakin has imbibed from his early days.

The lawyer-turned-business czar is driven by a deep-seated belief in Nigeria’s potential and a personal conviction that true greatness lies in service. This is what keeps him going, not accolades, not applause, but the unshakable belief that one must leave a place better than one met it.

The legacy in progress

There are many lenses through which one can view the life of Dr. Babalakin: as a brilliant lawyer, a business strategist, a university administrator, a reform advocate, or a silent philanthropist. But perhaps the most accurate description is this: He is a man of purpose and impact. Like him or not, you cannot underemphasize his selfless service to humanity and investments in people. His greatest asset, arguably, remains the people he has built.

At 65 years old, Dr. Babalakin is not merely ageing gracefully; he is growing purposefully. He stands tall not because he is loud, but because his deeds are large. In an age of superficial achievements, he remains a man of substance.

Happy 65th, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN, OFR. May your days be long, your vision sharp, and your impact ever enduring. History sees you, and posterity will remember.

Akanni, a media consultant, writes from Lagos