Bakare-Odunola tasks heads of units on human oversight of academic portal
By Tajudeen Babamale
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Moji Taibat Bakare-Odunola, has charged Heads of Departments, Directors, Level Advisers, Faculty Officers and other academic administrators in the institution to provide effective human oversight of the University’s portal-driven academic environment.
Prof. Bakare-Odunola gave the charge last Monday (August 10, 2026) at a capacity-building workshop for Heads of Departments, Directors, Level Advisers, Faculty Officers and Academic Administrators, held at the University Auditorium. She noted that the University Portal had become the operational space where admission, clearance, registration, continuous assessment and results processing converge.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor explained that while the portal records academic decisions, it does not replace human judgement, adding that the quality of academic records depended largely on the quality of academic leadership supervising the processes.
According to her, the portal could not advise a confused student using academic judgement, detect every wrong course combination, moderate scripts, verify marking integrity or enforce leadership discipline where supervision was weak.
She, therefore, urged heads of Units to take responsibility for correctness and compliance, supervise people, processes and data, and act promptly to prevent challenges from escalating.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor identified Level Advisers and Faculty Officers as critical support structures, noting that Level Advisers provide first-line academic guidance, while Faculty Officers ensure proper documentation and compliance with approved administrative procedures.
Prof. Bakare-Odunola described course registration as more than a clerical exercise, saying it constituted the student’s formal academic contract with the Department and the University. She urged Level Advisers to carefully verify course codes, carry-over courses, prerequisites, electives and student workloads.
She also called for prompt processing of course approvals, stressing that review queues should not accumulate because pending approvals represented unfinished academic business.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor further urged Heads of Units to establish internal deadlines ahead of University deadlines, monitor registration and results processing regularly, document corrections and escalations, and promptly report unresolved technical issues with complete evidence.
Also speaking at the Workshop, the University Bursar, Mr Abiodun Lawal, charged Heads of Departments, Directors and other University administrators to ensure prudent and responsible management of the institution’s limited financial resources.
Mr Lawal explained that as government employees entrusted with public funds, University officers could not receive an advance of more than ₦1 million for official expenditure. He added that where a request exceeded the approved threshold, the expenditure must be contracted out, with the appropriate vendor’s invoice attached to the request.
The Bursar stated that one of his key responsibilities was to ensure that the University’s scarce resources were properly managed and sustained throughout the financial year. He explained that funds allocated to various units were distributed across four quarters, requiring units to plan their expenditure and utilise their allocations responsibly within each quarter.
Mr Lawal further explained that delays or non-approval of some requests could be linked to previous expenditures, stressing the need for administrators to manage their allocations carefully and adhere to approved financial procedures.
He urged the participants to understand the financial limits governing their offices and plan their activities accordingly to ensure that University resources remained available throughout the year.
In his presentation, the Acting Managing Director of Unilorin Holdings Limited, Prof. Bashiru Ademola Raji, unveiled plans to deepen collaboration with Faculties, Departments and Centres of the University of Ilorin to transform academic expertise and institutional resources into sustainable economic value.
Speaking on “UNILORIN Circular Economy: Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN — Legacy in Unilorin Holdings Limited,” Prof. Raji highlighted proposed short certificate programmes, including first-aid and emergency-response training, as well as partnerships with the Departments of Food Science and Geology and the Centre for Cultural Studies.
He said the company was also exploring opportunities in the mining sector and had commenced processes for obtaining the necessary licence.
Prof. Raji, whose tenure as Director of Unilorin Holdings ends in November, expressed appreciation to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Egbewole, for the opportunity to contribute to the establishment and development of the company. He reiterated its motto, “Developing Ideas for Profitability,” stressing the need to continue building partnerships that convert University expertise into practical and sustainable economic value.
