By Abubakar Imam
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has said that the University’s upcoming Golden Jubilee celebration is designed to change higher education narrative in Nigeria. Activities for the anniversary would run from Sunday, November 23 to Friday, November 28, 2025.
Prof. Egbewole stated this last Friday (November 14, 2025) while featuring on Countdown to UNILORIN @ 50, a special personality interview programme of UNILORIN 89.3FM. The programme was jointly anchored by the trio of Mr Idris Akintola Ibrahim (Alooma), Mr Temitope Olawuyi and Mr Bunmi Obafemi
The Vice Chancellor, who was accompanied to the studio by the University’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Kunle Akogun, said that the University is celebrating because it has become quite synonymous with integrity and quality service delivery.
He said available and verifiable evidence confirmed that the institution has achieved so much in the realms of human capital development and innovation as well as research and community development.
Prof. Egbewole explained that the anniversary would witness the raising of ₦50 billion towards the building of an Innovation and Transcript Hub that would be a place dedicated for effective service delivery. He also said that a globally renowned scholar and pan-Africanist, Prof. P. L. O. Lumumba, has accepted to be the Guest Speaker at the anniversary main event.
The Vice Chancellor, who is also the Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities, explained that the anniversary would permanently change service delivery in the University as such would be emulated by its peers across the country.
The renowned legal luminary said that the upcoming Golden Jubilee represents a unique milestone in the life of the University as he thanked the leadership and members of the Ilorin Emirate community for serving as good hosts of the University in the last 50 years.
Prof. Egbewole, who commended the UNILORIN 89.3 FM for being a darling of listeners from far and near, said that one of the major highlights of the anniversary is the conferment of an award on the President of Nigeria and Visitor to the University, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, among others who have exerted positive influence on the University.
The multiple award-winning Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law said that the upcoming anniversary would celebrate alumni of the University who he said represent the past, present and future of the University as he confirmed that a special day has been set aside for alumni of the University across the world.
He also said that the anniversary would also celebrate all the past Principal Officers whose efforts brought about the achievements the University is celebrating.
Prof. Egbewole equally said that a programme would also be organised for current students of the University, who he described as very responsible and resilient.
He explained that his Administration always carries students along in its policies and programmes as he said that the students are the greatest beneficiaries of whatever the University does.
Prof. Egbewole said that all the University does is to ensure that students are responsible for their lives, hence the series of innovations being put in place by his Administration not only to ensure that their sojourn in the University is meaningful but also to ensure that they are far ahead of their contemporaries at global level.
While saying that staff of the University represent the best anywhere in the world, the Vice Chancellor thanked them for their understanding and cooperation, saying that the success being recorded by the University would have been impossible without their cooperation and dedication.
Responding to a question, Prof. Egbewole promised to sustain the legacy of his predecessors for the University to maintain its reputation and status.
Prof. Egbewole confirmed that he has been enjoying the fraternity and cooperation of all his surviving predecessors who he said have remained very close to the University.
The Vice Chancellor enjoined members of the public to always avail the University of their suggestions for better service delivery.
Some listeners who called-in during the programme described the University as truly the best in the country in terms of service delivery and other parameters as they also congratulated the Vice Chancellor and the entire University community on the milestone.
