Ajao reaffirms UNILORIN commitment to students’ career development
By Abubakar Abdulquadri
The Director of the Centre for Career Services Unit, University of Ilorin, Prof. K. R. Ajao, has reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to equipping students with the skills and mindset required to overcome challenges in the labour market.
Prof. Ajao stated this last Wednesday (April 15, 2026) while speaking at a Workshop, organised for students of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences at the Faculty Lecture Theatre.
The Director explained that as part of efforts to ensure that students are well-grounded in both academic knowledge and career development skills, the University management adopted a decentralised approach to training across Faculties for greater impact.
According to him, the initiative has been extended to all 16 Faculties of the University, with six Faculties already covered, while others are currently hosting their sessions.
Prof. Ajao noted that the decentralisation strategy has yielded positive results, as evidenced by the impressive turnout of students at the various sessions.
He added that the programme specifically targets fresh and final-year students while fresh students are introduced to the core purpose of university education, final-year students are prepared to navigate the realities of the labour market.
The Director urged participants to pay closer attention to the lectures and make effective use of the knowledge gained to enhance their personal and professional development.
In her remarks, the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi, said the world depends on students and assured them that it is the dream of the nation to provide them with broad orientation that will enable them to discover their potentials, excel, and overcome real-world challenges.
She urged the students to be attentive during the lectures, noting that they were privileged to have highly resourceful and knowledgeable speakers capable of guiding them towards career success.
The Dean further described the programme as a platform for sharpening skills that would enable the students to become job creators rather than job seekers.
Also speaking, the Faculty Representative at the Career Services Unit, Dr. Oba Abdulkadir La’aro, noted that the career talks form part of a broader university initiative with national relevance.
He disclosed that the Career Services Unit has received financial support from TETFund, which has helped expand the programme to a national scale.
According to him, the Federal Government has recognised its limited capacity to provide jobs for the growing population, hence the need to equip young people with relevant skills early in their academic journey.
Speaking on the theme, “Turning Starting Points into Excellence Realities,” Prof. Amos O. Bajeh of the Department of Computer Science urged students to develop strategic plans and actionable steps that would guide them towards achieving their envisioned goals.
Prof. Bajeh said, “The mind is like a garden, while thoughts are the seeds that can either grow and flourish or wither, depending on how they are nurtured.”
The don added that beyond efforts, students need a clear roadmap to attain excellence, noting that direction is as important as hard work.
He further stressed the importance of consistency, resilience, technical depth, and effective time management as critical factors for success. He cautioned that “vision without action is a daydream, while action without vision is a nightmare.”
He concluded by reminding the students that success is the result of small, consistent efforts repeated daily.
Also speaking on the theme, “Career Resilience in Achieving Adaptation,” the Director of the Centre for Research Development and In-House Training (CREDIT),Prof. Abdulkarim Oloyede, encouraged students to embrace adaptability, especially in a constantly changing environment. He noted that the ability to adjust enables individuals to develop self-awareness and better understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Prof. Oloyede further highlighted the importance of maximising opportunities available within the University and urged the students to take advantage of initiatives such as the U-Inspire programme to enhance their personal and professional growth.
He advised the students to remain humble, curious, and persistent in their pursuits, starting small but aiming for greater achievements over time.
