Campus News

UNILORIN: A foundry for vice chancellors

By Abubakar Imam

The nation’s most sought-after University, the University of Ilorin, has since its establishment in 1975 produced several outstanding and impactful individuals. These individuals have contributed and are still contributing their quotas to national and human development in various ways.

            Many of these eminent Unilorites have served in high positions in government, military and paramilitary services and even as journalists, diplomats and traditional rulers, among other roles. Specifically, a number of them are also in academia working relentlessly towards building responsible future leaders.

            There is, in fact, no field of human endeavour that the University does not have a distinguished presence.

            Of particular interest here is the fact that the institution has produced many Vice Chancellors for other universities within and outside Nigeria. The Vice Chancellors produced by the University are no fewer than 33 as at the last count.

            This statistics shows that the University averagely produces one Vice Chancellor in every two years of its eventful history. This is relatively impressive compared with its peers that were brought forth 50 years ago.

            Each of the Vice Chancellors produced by the University of Ilorin has evidently impacted profoundly on such beneficiary institutions to the glory of the Better-by-far University. These worthy products have served are still serving as worthy ambassadors of the University.

            These individuals deserve to be celebrated as the University prepares to mark its 50 years of glorious existence. They are, in fact, an essential part of the history of the institution whose fascinating contributions should not be glossed over.

            Apart from the founding heads of the institution who were “posted” to sister universities by the federal government in its embryonic stage, the trend of appointment of members of the University of Ilorin community as Vice Chancellors for other universities began with Prof. Suleiman Olatunji Adeyemi. Prof. Adeyemi, an indigene of Offa, Kwara State, and a distinguished scholar of Civil Engineering, was appointed Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State by President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR, in 1990. He completed his single term of four years in 1994. He was the second Vice Chancellor of that University.

            Before his appointment, Prof. Adeyemi was a lecturer at the UNILORIN’s Department of Civil Engineering for many years. He returned to the same Department after his illustrious sojourn in Minna before his eventual retirement.

            From the same Faculty of Engineering and Technology also emerged Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, FNSE, an eminent Chemical Engineer, who initially served as Vice Chancellor, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, before his appointment as the 10th Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin. He held the position from 2017 to 2022. Prof. J. A. Olorunmaiye of the Department of Mechanical Engineering also served as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Crown-Hill (now Ojaja) University, Eyenkorin, Ilorin. A Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Tunji Samuel Ibiyemi, also served as the Vice Chancellor of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State. From the same Department of Electrical Engineering, Prof. Nazmat Sirajudeen-Bakinde, was also, in 2024, appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, The Gambia.

            The star of this group of outstanding Unilorites is Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, CON, FNAL. Prof. Oloyede, a distinguished Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence and celebrated administrator, is the first alumnus of the University of Ilorin appointed as a Vice Chancellor anywhere in the world! Prof. Oloyede, who earned all his degrees from the University of Ilorin and never served elsewhere except at the same University before his emergence as the institution’s Chief Executive, was remarkably the first product of the University who had the privilege of heading the institution. He was the Vice Chancellor of the University from 2007 to 2012. He is currently the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Secretary-General of the influential Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). He was rightly appointed as an Emeritus Professor by the University he is always proud of last year.

            A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, who, professionally, also belongs to its Faculty of Arts, Prof. Shamsudeen Amali, OON, was after finishing his tenure at the University, which lasted between 2002 and 2007, appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Nassarawa State University, Keffi. Prof. Amali, a Theatre Arts expert, remains the only former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin who headed another University after his five years non-renewable term at UNILORIN.

            The Faculty of Arts, “the heartbeat of the University”, also produced the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah. Prof. Na’Allah was a student and staff at the Faculty. On completion of his tenure at KWASU, which he successfully ran between 2009 and 2019, Prof. Na’Allah was swiftly appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja. He rounded-off his tenure at the University in 2024, making him the only Nigerian who spent 15 unbroken years of his career serving as a Vice Chancellor. He has just emerged as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the newly-licensed AbdulRasaq Abubakar Toyin University, Ganmo, Ilorin.

            Prof. Rasaq ‘Deremi Abubakre, a renowned Professor of Arabic and former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, also served as Vice Chancellor of the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin. He was the second Vice Chancellor of the private University. Prof. Mahofuz Adebola Adedimeji, a celebrated expert in English and prominent newspaper columnist, who was trained at the Faculty before his appointment as a lecturer at the same Faculty, was also appointed as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Ahman Pategi University, Pategi, Kwara State, the first private University in Nupeland. Prof. Adedimeji, a prolific wordsmith and current Chairman of UNILORIN Bulletin Editorial Board, is the incumbent Vice Chancellor of the African School of Economics, Abuja.

            Another alumnus of the UNILORIN’s Faculty of Arts, Prof. Shaykh Luqman Jimoh, in 2024, emerged as the third substantive Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Malete. Prof. Jimoh, who is an expert in Islamic Studies, also received all his degrees from the University of Ilorin. He had previously held the same position in acting capacity for two years before his substantive appointment. Also from the same Faculty is Prof. Jelili Ojuade, an eminent scholar of dance, who is the current Vice Chancellor of Ojaja University, Eyenkorin, Ilorin.

            The Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin also contributed to the pool of staff of the University who served or are serving as Vice Chancellors. They are a distinguished scholar of Animal Production, Prof. Olufemi Olaiya Balogun, who served as the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; and Prof. Luke Ayorinde, another foremost scholar of Animal Production, who served as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Kola Daisi University, Ibadan and Thomas Adewumi University, Oko. The other two are Prof. Bashir Ademola Raji, who headed the Fountain University, Osogbo, as its second Vice Chancellor and whose tenure lasted between 2012 and 2017; and the current Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olabisi Ramota Karim, who, before her appointment as the chief executive of the faith-based University, was the Dean of the Faculty. Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale of the Department of Agronomy also served as Vice Chancellor of Oduduwa University, Ile-Ife, Osun State between 2018 and 2023.

            The Faculty of Law of the nation’s most sought-after University has also produced two Vice Chancellors. Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, an alumnus (he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Ilorin) and teacher at the Faculty, in 2022, emerged as the 11th Vice Chancellor of the University. This outstanding legal luminary is also the Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU) and Chairman, Consortium of Kwara Universities (KU8+). The Faculty similarly produced the second substantive Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Malete, through the late Prof. Muhammad Mustapha Olarongbe Akanbi, SAN.

            From the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology, to be specific, Prof. Noah Yusuf, was appointed as Vice Chancellor of the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin. He is rounding-off his tenure at the nation’s first faith-based University. Prof. O. J. Olaniran of the Department of Geography was also the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo. The UNILORIN’s Department of Political Science also produced Prof. Matthew Olurotimi Ajayi, who served as the Vice Chancellor of Landmark University, Omu-Aran. In 2023, a former Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, Prof. Rasheed Gbenga Jimoh, became the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Muhammad Kamalud-Deen University, Ilorin. This consummate computer scientist is still driving the new faith-based University into maturity.

            The “mother of all Faculties”, the Faculty of Education, has also produced four Vice Chancellors. They are Prof. Raheem Adebayo Lawal, who emerged as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the University of Offa, Offa; Prof. Medinat Folorunso Salman, the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University of Education, Ilorin, who was appointed in 2024; and Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson, who was appointed the Vice Chancellor of University of Environment and Sustainable Development by the Ghanaian authorities. The late Prof. Aize Obayan had earlier served as the Vice Chancellor of Covenant University, Otta, Ogun State.

            The Faculty of Life Sciences equally produced four Vice Chancellors. Three of these distinguished scholars and administrators are remarkably from the Department of Biochemistry. The first was Prof. Musibau Akanji, who was the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin. Prof. Akanji, thereafter, served as the 6th Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna. He held the position with remarkable competence from 2012 to 2017.

            The others are Prof. Hussein Oyelola Bukoye Oloyede, who was the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Fountain University, Osogbo, and the Summit University, Offa; and Prof. Temidayo Oladiji, FNAS, who is the incumbent Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure; as well as Prof. K. T. Eniola, who first served as the Vice Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji; and subsequently as Vice Chancellor, Kogi State University, Kabba.

            The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, which was established about 15 years ago, has also produced two Vice Chancellors. The founding Dean of the Faculty, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali,OON, in October 2022 emerged as the 9th Vice Chancellor of the University. He completed his tenure in 2007. From the Faculty also emerged Prof. Musa Isiyaku Ahmed, who left to serve as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru, Kebbi State.

            The above is in addition to many members of the University community who served as Pro-Chancellors of universities. These include its 6th Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem, OFR, who is simultaneously holding the influential position at the Federal University Dutse, Muhammad Kamalud-Deen University, Ilorin; and the newly-established Kwara State University of Education, Ilorin. The University’s 9th Vice Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, OON, is also the current Pro-Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Malete. Prof. Olu Obafemi, mni, a seasoned newspaper columnist and distinguished national merit award winner, was the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna; while a former Director of the University’s Academic Planning Unit, Prof. Sulyman Alege Kuranga, also held the same position at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, among others.

            Quite a number of Rectors of Polytechnics and Provosts of Colleges of Education, Colleges of Nursing and similar institutions as well as University Registrars and other principal officers of institutions of higher learning have been appointed from the University of Ilorin and among its products over the years.

What this parade of eminent scholars and prolific administrators shows is that the University of Ilorin is living up to expectations. It is proofing to be a warehouse of leaders and an institution where leadership values are always inculcated in students and staff members in order to bring out the best in them.