UNILORIN holds 2025/2026 SIWES pre-placement orientation for Agric. students
By Mustafa Abubakar and Cecilia Samuel
The Director of the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Directorate, Prof. Roland Kayode, has disclosed that a total of 547 students from the Faculty of Agriculture would be participating in the 2025/2026 pre-placement orientation programme.
Prof. Kayode disclosed this last Thursday, (November 13, 2025), while speaking during the second edition of the SIWES Pre-Placement Orientation Programme for students of the Faculty.
Welcoming the students and outlining the objectives of the programme, Prof. Kayode said, “A total of 547 students are participating in the orientation, comprising 404 B. Agriculture students, 68 B.Sc. Aquaculture and Fisheries students, and 37 B.Sc. Forestry students. Students from B.Sc. Food Science and B.Sc. Home Economics are expected to join the main pre-orientation training next year.”
He explained that SIWES was established in 1973 by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical industrial exposure.
Prof. Kayode explained that the scheme began at the University of Ilorin in 1979 as a coordinating unit for Engineering students and it attained full Directorate status in August 1999. Today, the Directorate coordinates SIWES activities across 50 Departments in 12 Faculties.
Prof. Kayode outlined the SIWES structure within the Faculty, saying that B. Agriculture students would undertake three months of Farm Practical Training (FPT) followed by three months of industrial training while those pursuing B.Sc. Home Economics would engage in three months of Practicum and three months of industrial training as those in B.Sc. Aquaculture & Fisheries would go for industrial training #during the first semester.
Acknowledging past challenges such as unsupervised students and FPT calendar disruptions due to the rainy season, he said the Faculty has largely overcome these difficulties, noting that over 95% of students were physically supervised last year, with the remainder supervised virtually.
Declaring the programme open, the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Israel Ogunlade, represented by Dr Oluwasayope I. Alli, commended the SIWES Directorate and encouraged students to approach industrial training with seriousness and responsibility, emphasising that the programme is a key pathway to professional development.
The SIWES Coordinator, Mr Olayinka Oseni, in his presentation on the ‘‘Use of SIWES Documents,’’ urged students to take industrial training seriously. He explained that many students lose direction when transitioning from academics to practical industry work and highlighted the programme’s role in closing this gap.
Mr Oseni announced that the Faculty had significantly improved SIWES performance, with over 95% of last year’s students excelling and receiving the Science Excellence Award from delegated supervisors. He detailed proper logbook usage, emphasising weekly records, supervisor signatures, and correct completion of forms such as the End-of-Programme Form and the Student Commencement (Staff Attachment) Form.
He also guided students on report preparation, including title pages, table of contents, overviews, weekly activity logs, summaries, conclusions, and recommendations, stressing adherence to departmental formats.
Highlighting SIWES supervision, Mr Oseni explained the three categories—Institution-based, Industry-based, and External—and stressed their importance in evaluating performance.
In his presentation on “Roles of SIWES Stakeholders,” Engr Oluwaseyi Victor Obasa commended the SIWES unit for organising the programme and encouraged students to leverage the opportunity to develop professional skills.
Prof. Felix Takim, in a brief address, reiterated the importance of SIWES in bridging theory and practice and praised the Faculty for ensuring adequate supervision.
The orientation was attended by Faculty staff, Departmental Coordinators, and all participating students, who expressed optimism about applying the skills acquired during SIWES to their future careers.
