I had a wonderful tenure, says Alabi, outgoing CoHS Provost

By Abubakar Imam

The outgoing Provost of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Prof. Biodun Sulyman Alabi, has said that he had a great tenure as the Head of the College and Chairman of Committee of Provost and Deans of the University.

Prof. Alabi, who is the  6th substantive Provost of the College and whose tenure comes to an end this Friday,  July 31, 2026, made this remarks last Tuesday (July 21, 2026) in the valedictory address he delivered at the College Academic Board (CAB) Meeting.

The outgoing Provost thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, for the confidence reposed in him and for the unwavering support extended to the College throughout his tenure as he thanked every member of staff of the College for their cooperation, commitment, and dedication.

Prof. Alabi recalled that one of the major highlights of his tenure was the impressive staff development it witnessed. He explained that the promotion exercises conducted in 2023, 2024 and 2025 recorded over 90% success, which culminated in a 100% success rate in the 2026 edition of the exercise.

He also recalled that his administration embraced electronic communication, in line with the directive of the Vice Chancellor. The initiative, according to Prof. Alabi, significantly improved communication, efficiency, and administrative effectiveness within the College.

The outgoing Provost also said that Infrastructural development received remarkable attention during his administration through the tremendous support of the University Administration. He added that several projects were initiated and completed while a number are currently ongoing.

He also asserted that the Institute of Medical Research and Training (IMRAT) of the University has continued to grow from strength to strength. He noted that the Institute secured a major research grant on Nigeria’s health workforce from the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation, following a highly competitive selection process.

Another landmark achievement of his tenure, according to Prof. Alabi, was the Federal Government’s approval of a ₦4 billion intervention for the College to support quota expansion and strengthen the training of students in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Nursing. He said that  significant progress has been made on these projects, which have recorded various percentages of completion.

Prof. Alabi also noted that the College also secured approval for the construction of two 200-bed student hostels, valued at approximately ₦750 million each, providing an additional 400 bed spaces for clinical students. In addition, Prof. Alabi said that a private developer has committed to constructing another student hostel at the Old College site.

The outgoing Provost also noted that the University also received an additional ₦4 billion for the construction of a state-of-the-art Simulation Laboratory, and that its implementation would soon commence.  He explained that the investment would significantly enhance teaching, learning, and research.

Prof. Alabi equally noted that the the College successfully secured accreditation for new programmes, including Dentistry, Medical Radiography and Radiation Science. He noted that the Medical Education Resource Unit (MERU) was also strengthened to improve academic quality and educational innovation.

The College, according to Prof. Alabi, also successfully recruited additional academic, technical, and non-teaching staff, including technologists, to strengthen service delivery and academic excellence.

On a personal note, Prof.Alabi recalled that his tenure also earned him national recognition as he was elected Chairman of the Committee of Provosts of Medical Schools in Nigeria in December 2024, a position which gave him the privilege to  provide leadership to medical schools across the country. He added that he was also appointed by the Minister of Education to serve as Chairman of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee on TETFund Projects.

He also said that in the course of his administration the College strengthened its internally generated revenue through the  introduction of professional fees for College programmes and verification fees for foreign-trained medical graduates.

One of the remarkable highlights of his tenure, according to the outgoing Provost, was the graduation of the first two sets of Physiotherapists and the graduation of the first set of Medical Laboratory Scientists produced by the University.

Prof. Alabi noted that programmes like Dentistry, Radiography and Radiation science had secured approval while Nursing Science had been granted full accreditation.

The outgoing Provost thanked the alumni of the College for giving back vigorously to their alma mater. He was particularly grateful to the alumni of the College practising in North America for the donation of solar power at the Old College, the 1991 MBBS Class for a water project at the Old College Hostels and several other meaningful interventions shouldered by its alumni individually or collectively.

Notwithstanding the considerable progress recorded, Prof. Alabi enumerated some of the challenges facing the College, which includes pending induction of 44 MBBS graduands, management of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) admission quota issues, insufficient academic and technical staff across the three Faculties, lack of utility vehicles for students, the loss of IMRAT complex to the Kwara State Government and low attendance at University wide and College meetings by its staff members.

Responding, some of the staff members of the College took turn to commend Prof. Alabi for taking the College to a new height in service delivery and national recognition.

While expressing confidence in the ability of the Provost-elect to continue with the fascinating legacies of Prof. Alabi, they wished the outgoing Provost success in all his future endeavours.