Campus News

Jimoh advises campus farmers on land use

By Abubakar Imam

The Director of the Physical Planning Unit, University of Ilorin, Mr Abdulrahaman Toyin Jimoh, has advised members of the University community and others who are farming on the University campus to be mindful of the type of crops they cultivate.

Mr Jimoh, who is a former Chairman of the Kwara State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), gave this advice last Monday (May 26, 2025) while speaking with UNILORIN Bulletin in his office.

While commending the “campus farmers”, particularly Unilorites, for making good use of the land and contributing their quotas to the nation’s food security, the Director advised them to invest their resources on the cultivation of annual crops only.

Mr Jimoh explained that the advice is necessitated by the subsisting Memoranda of Understanding between the University and a few corporate outfits on the use of the institution’s expansive land, particularly the Oriental Energy Resources Limited (OER) owned by the renowned Maiduguri-based business mogul, Alhaji Mohammed Ndimi.

While pointing out that about 4500 hectares of the University land has been allocated to OER for its proposed mechanised farm, Mr Jimoh said that the remaining land is left for physical infrastructural development.

He added that the University is expecting the OER and other firms to begin their projects anytime from now.

Mr Jimoh warned that the University would not give any of the farmers the luxury of time to harvest their crops as soon as the OER and others show up to put to use the already allocated land.

Speaking on the ongoing projects across the campus, Mr Jimoh commended the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, for always attracting quality and meaningful projects to the University.

He particularly congratulated the Vice Chancellor on the selection of the University as one of the beneficiaries of the ₦4,000,000,000 allocated by the Federal Government for the rehabilitation of 18 Colleges of Health Sciences selected from across the nation as well as for the sum of ₦750,000,000 made available to the institution as part of the TETFund special intervention on hostel construction.

The Director explained that when completed, the projects would address some of the challenges facing the University.

Mr Jimoh assured the University Management that his Unit would continue to give contractors handling the projects very close supervision to ensure that all the projects are delivered timely and to specifications.