COREN team applauds UNILORIN Engineering programmes
By Tajudeen Babamale
The accreditation team of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has commended the University of Ilorin for its committed academic staff, high staff retention rate, conducive working environment and positive feedback from employers of its Engineering graduates.
The team, led by a Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Mohammed Shu’aibu Abubakar, FNSE, gave the commendation last Wednesday (October 28, 2026), during its exit meeting with the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, at the end of an accreditation visitation to seven Engineering programmes of the University.
The programmes assessed were Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
Prof. Abubakar, who appreciated the Vice Chancellor, his management team and the entire staff and students of the Faculty for their cooperation throughout the exercise, explained that accreditation was designed to promote institutional growth and strengthen academic standards rather than witch-hunt institutions.
He reported that his team inspected facilities across the University, including the University Library, workshops, laboratories, student hostels, sporting and recreational facilities, and healthcare facilities. He added that they also interacted with staff and students, examined students’ academic records and admission requirements, and assessed coursework, examination questions and answer scripts, laboratory and survey reports, as well as staff qualifications, among others.
Prof. Abubakar commended the University for its competent and committed academic staff, high staff retention, functional recreational facilities, conducive working environment, relatively adequate electricity and water supply, good road networks, and positive industry feedback on the quality and professional readiness of its Engineering graduates.
The Team Lead urged the University Management, the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, and the Departments to sustain these strengths while implementing the team’s recommendations to further enhance the quality of the programmes.
Responding to the report, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, pledged to implement the recommendations of the COREN accreditation team to strengthen the Institution’s engineering programmes and sustain the University’s academic and infrastructural standards.
Speaking through the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Moji Taibat Bakare-Odunola, the Vice Chancellor thanked the team for what he described as a job well done. He noted that accreditation exercises provide new direction for academic programmes by identifying institutional strengths and areas requiring further attention.
He assured the team that the University would sustain its achievements while addressing the recommendations arising from the exercise.
Also speaking, the Registrar of the University of Ilorin, Mr Mansur Adeleke Alfanla, called for better coordination among professional regulatory bodies, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and National Universities Commission (NUC) to prevent policy inconsistencies in the universities.
Responding to the accreditation team’s recommendation that newly recruited Engineering graduates who possess COREN certification should be appointed as Lecturer II rather than Assistant Lecturer to motivate them and recognise their professional qualifications, the Registrar explained that the University acted in accordance with official directives and policies governing the career progression of staff members with COREN certification.
He noted that policy inconsistencies could affect the implementation of professional certification requirements in the public service, adding that similar challenges existed in other fields, including Medical Laboratory Science, Physiotherapy and Pharmacy.
The Registrar reaffirmed the commitment of the University to the fair treatment of its staff and expressed appreciation to the accreditation team for its recommendations towards improving Engineering education at the institution.
