Campus News

40TH CONVOCATION CEREMONIES

FG Committed to quality education, innovation, says Tinubu 

By Abubakar Imam and Isaac Lewu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening tertiary education and promoting innovation in Nigerian universities.

The President stated this last Thursday (October 23, 2025) while speaking at the 40th Convocation Ceremonies of the University of Ilorin.

He stated that his government would intensify investments in research, digital skills, and entrepreneurship to prepare students for the challenges of a knowledge-driven economy.               

President Tinubu, who was represented by the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof. Temidayo Oladiji, commended the University on its stimulating record of discipline and academic excellence, describing it as a model for other institutions.

“As the University of Ilorin approaches its 50th anniversary, it continues to stand out as a centre of excellence. Nigeria must produce Nobel laureates, and I believe UNILORIN can lead that charge,” the President stated.

President Tinubu also announced that the University had been chosen as one of the host centres for the National Universities Commission (NUC) Digital Innovation Hubs, which, he said, are designed to nurture creativity and entrepreneurship among students.

He said, “This hub will position Ilorin as a leading centre for innovation in Nigeria’s knowledge economy.”

The President also disclosed that UNILORIN is among 18 universities benefiting from a ₦110 billion national intervention fund to expand medical training facilities nationwide. He explained that the decision to suspend the creation of new tertiary institutions was a deliberate move to consolidate and strengthen the existing ones.

“We must prioritise quality over quantity. Adequate resources will, therefore, be channelled to existing institutions to enhance their capacity and impact,” he stated.

President Tinubu further noted that earned allowances and part of the previously withheld salaries of academic and non-teaching staff had been paid, while a loan scheme for tertiary institution workers had been introduced to cushion economic pressures. “This initiative is a genuine empowerment effort, not a burden,” he said.

Addressing the broader economic reforms, the President appealed for public understanding, assuring Nigerians that the temporary hardships being experienced were transitional.

He said, “I acknowledge the challenges Nigerians face today, but these are short-lived. The foundation we are laying will build a stronger and more inclusive economy.”

He also urged alumni, individuals, and the private sector to complement government efforts in improving education, saying education is too important to be left solely to the government.

“The partnership of all stakeholders is vital in building a prosperous and knowledge-driven nation,” he said.

The President congratulated the graduands and reminded them of the fact that their degrees represent a call to leadership and responsibility.

“Be creative, innovative, and resilient—the future belongs to you, and it is your generation that must transform Nigeria into a nation of our dreams,” he declared.

Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, represented by Prof. AbduLateef Oladimeji, Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, commended the University of Ilorin for attracting more than ₦12 billion in research grants from both local and international partners over the last two years.

He said that it was stimulating that the University continues to demonstrate that with vision and commitment, world-class achievements are possible in the nation’s University system.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, described the 40th convocation ceremonies of the University as a milestone in the University’s journey and urged the graduands to uphold the institution’s values of integrity and discipline.

He said that at 50, the University has matured as he stated that the University is beginning another future, urging graduands to be deliberate in shaping their destinies.