NUC accreditation teams applaud UNILORIN’s Ph.D. staff strength
By Tajudeen Babamale
The National Universities Commission (NUC) Accreditation Teams for Cyber Security and Sustainable Development, as well as Agricultural Extension and Rural Development programmes have commended the University of Ilorin on its impressive Ph.D-to-non-Ph.D staff ratio, describing it as a strong foundation for the commencement of the new programmes.
This commendation was given penultimate Thursday (September 18, 2025) during the teams’ exit meeting with the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN.
The leader of the accreditation panel for the Agricultural Extension and Rural Development programme, Engr. Sulaiman Saadu, stated that out of 17 academic staff identified for the programme, 16 are Ph.D. holders, describing this as a remarkable achievement for a new department.
While saying that the provision of professorial suites for senior academics further demonstrated the University’s commitment to excellence, the team leader also commended the facilities provided for teaching and research, particularly the e-library and physical library.
Highlighting the uniqueness of the digital service that allows hard copies of documents to be converted to soft copies and deposited in the repository, the team suggested that the service could be commercialised, considering its rarity among Nigerian universities.
The accreditation team for Agricultural Extension and Rural Development programme, which observed that the University had met the academic and infrastructural requirements for the take-off of the programme, however, cautioned against complacency after securing approval, urging the University to sustain and build upon its present achievements to ensure continuous growth and relevance.
For the Cyber Security and Sustainable Development programme, Prof. A.A. Obinniyi, who spoke on behalf of his panel, also mentioned the impressive academic qualifications of staff, noting that 16 out of 18 members hold Ph.D. degrees while the remaining two possess a Master degree qualifications. He described this as a strong foundation for academic excellence and programme sustainability.
Prof. Obinniyi further commended the well-furnished professorial suites provided by the University, describing them as both functional and aesthetically impressive.
The team also observed that the Department has cultivated a strong sense of community, pointing to its esprit de corps ideology and overall atmosphere as evidence of a family-oriented and collaborative culture. According to the team, this cohesion among staff members is a unique strength that will foster innovation, teamwork, and steady advancement of the programmes.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has expressed gratitude to the accreditation teams for their oversight and constructive feedback. He said that, the University views accreditation as a form of peer review that helps it identify areas of improvement and consolidate on existing strengths.
The Vice Chancellor, who spoke through the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovation), Prof. Muhtar Adeiza Etudaiye, assured the teams that all concerns raised during their visits would be promptly addressed, while the commendations received would be nurtured and sustained.
He reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to maintaining a deliberate policy of engaging highly qualified staff, pointing out that the University of Ilorin likely has the highest PhD-to-non-PhD staff ratio in the country. He recalled that the University’s Faculty of Law was once recognised as having the highest number of Ph.D. holders nationwide, a reputation that has since become a model across Faculties.
The Vice Chancellor also noted that the institution welcomes the accreditation process as a driver of progress,adding that, if it were possible to host accreditation teams every year, the University would gladly do so, as the exercise provides valuable insights that enhance growth and strengthen academic quality.
He, thereby, pledged that the management would act swiftly on the teams’ recommendations, stressing that accreditation remains a tool for institutional progress and a reaffirmation of the University of Ilorin’s pursuit of excellence.
