Nigeria has been my benefactor, says Oloyede
By Mubarak Oladosu and Tajudeen Babamale
The 8th Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB), Prof. Emeritus Is,haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, has described Nigeria and the University of Ilorin as his greatest benefactors.
Prof. Emeritus Oloyede stated this last Monday (August 17, 2026) in his appreciation remarks at the Homecoming Celebration and Investiture of Distinguished Alumni and UNILORIN Ambassadors held at the University Auditorium.
The former Vice Chancellor said the honour accorded him at the event prompted deep reflection on his journey, and on the individuals and institutions that shaped his life and career.
He noted that the keynote and goodwill lectures, particularly the presentation by the Chairman of the occasion and Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, on the relationship between beneficiaries and benefactors, challenged him to reflect on roles of different classes of citizens in national development.
Prof. Emeritus Oloyede thanked the Chairman for his support to him as Chief Executive of both UNILORIN and JAMB, and also acknowledged him for his humility. He also appreciated his former colleagues, mentors, and administrators including the former Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University and Federal University of Technology, Minna; Prof. Emeritus Musbau Adewumi Akanji, Prof. Adenike Temidayo Oladiji, Vice Chancellor of FUTA; and other colleagues who stood by him during his tenures at UNILORIN and JAMB.
“Whatever accomplishments are attributed to me cannot be separated from the support I received from this University, the government, and several individuals,” he said.
Recalling his early years, Prof. Emeritus Oloyede said he lost his mother at a young age and was raised by his stepmother, grandmother, and other family members.
He disclosed that financial constraints prevented him from attending a conventional secondary school, so he pursued Arabic education before gaining admission to the University of Ibadan for a certificate programme.
He acknowledged the role of Prof. I.A.B. Balogun, who later became his supervisor and mentor, in facilitating that admission. He added that his subsequent University education was made possible through government support, societal goodwill, and individual assistance.
The former JAMB Registrar also paid special tribute to a doyen of Islamic Studies at the University of Ilorin, retired Prof. Yasir Anjola Quadri, who taught him as an undergraduate. He disclosed that while he was the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Quadri would give him the respect a Vice Chancellor deserves and paid nocturnal visits to guide or chide him .
Prof. Emeritus Oloyede recalled benefiting from government welfare schemes as a student, including accommodation, healthcare, and financial support. He revealed that in his first year, he was appointed a University Scholar and received ₦1,050 annually.
“In my final year, that ₦1,050 came late, and when it came, it was enough to buy one and a half plots of land in Tanke, where I later built my first house,” he said, adding, “I, therefore, deserve no commendation for reciprocating the benevolence of my country.”
He said those experiences informed his decision as Vice Chancellor to prioritise student welfare and to reactivate scholarships, so that students could receive the same support that enabled his own education.
“Beneficiaries of societal support have a responsibility to become benefactors themselves, at a stage in their lives,” he stated.
