Campus News

People, issues, and events that made Unilorin tick in 2024

As we round off Year 2024 and look anxiously forward to embracing 2025, it would not be a bad idea, at this moment, to take stock of how the ever forward-looking Better-by-Far University fared in the outgoing year.

By all means, 2024 was an outstanding year for the University of Ilorin, having recorded several landmark achievements in all areas of its three core mandates of teaching, research, and community service. In all of these, kudos must be given to our visionary Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, for providing exemplary leadership that invariably ensured steady and consistent progress for the University in the past two years since he mounted the saddle.

Sustaining Excellence

The year opened on a bright note with the release of the Elsevier Scopus SciVa report that rated our University as the 3rd Best University in Nigeria based on the quantity and quality of scholarly outputs of its academic staff members.

According to the report by the global publication outfit based in Netherlands, the University has a total of 3,714 scholarly outputs contributed in 2,739 outlets by 500 staff members of the nation’s most sought-after University.

Also, seven of the University’s academic staff members were named among the top 2% leading scientists in the world by Elsevier.

Drought-resistant maize

In a revolutionary initiative, the University announced the registration and release of its first drought-tolerant and striga-resistant hybrid maize, ILOMAZ 3 maize.

The leader of the research team responsible for the development of the maize variety, Dr Folusho Bankole of the Department of Agronomy, said that ILOMAZ 3 was developed and tested in collaboration with scientists from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State; the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria; and the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Moore Plantation, Ibadan.

Hosting the D-8 NPRI Summit

The University once again showcased its research prowess, organisational skill, and superlative hospitality to the global community, as it hosted the 3rd Summit of the D-8 Network of Pioneers for Research and Innovation (D-8 NPRI).

The successful hosting of the Summit, between November 24th and November 27th, is unarguably another manifestation of the steady progress in the University’s internationalisation drive, which has once again confirmed the global standing of the University as a citadel of international reckoning.

Most Outstanding University Award

In another confirmation of its ever rising profile, UNILORIN was early in the year named the ‘Most Outstanding Nigerian University 2023’ by one of the nation’s leading newspaper outfits, The New Telegraph. The award, presented to the Vice Chancellor on February 2nd, was premised on the continuous recognition of the University of Ilorin as the nation’s most subscribed institution of higher learning in the past one decade, a position also authenticated by statistics from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Establishment of New Centres

In pursuit of the developmental agenda enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in line with its community service mandate, the University established two new Centres – the Centre for Blue and Regenerative Economy and the Centre for Gender Studies – in the year under review.

The establishment of these innovative academic Centres would not only complement the University’s teaching and learning mandates, it would also facilitate its contribution to the nation’s socio-political and economic development.

MOU with Chinese varsity

In a deliberate and strategic move to widen its horizon, the University of Ilorin signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power.

The MoU is expected to benefit both institutions by promoting academic cooperation in various fields, including education, research, and cultural exchange.

The U-INSPIRE Initiative

In a bid to expand the skills acquisition programme of the students beyond the GSC courses run by the Technical and Entrepreneurship Centre (TEC) for undergraduate students, the U-INSPIRE initiative was launched in October.

The programme, through which students would be exposed to work place experience, and skills needed to set up their businesses, is expected to forge a partnership between the University and the industry and bridge the skill gap to make graduates ready for the industry.

More Unilorites Poached

In the year under review, the University continued to show leadership in the nation’s academic and socio-political sectors as it remains the proverbial crucible on which vice chancellors and other top managers are forged for other universities and top government parastatals.

Remarkably, three of the University’s dons, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, Prof. Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde, and Prof. Medinat Folorunso Salman, were appointed Vice Chancellors of the African School of Economics (the Pan-African University of Excellence), Abuja; the Kwara State University of Education (KWASUED), Ilorin; and the University of Applied Sciences and Technology (USET),The Gambia; respectively.

Also, Prof. Olusegun Ige of the Department of Geology and Mineral Sciences and Prof. Abdulkadir Abikan of the Department of Islamic Law were appointed Directors General of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), respectively.

N49m Research Grants

Nine academic staff members were awarded various sums of money amounting to N49, 380, 000 to enable them carry out studies on specific areas of interest for the betterment of mankind. The researchers were picked from about 30 applicants that submitted research proposals to the Senate Research Grant Technical Committee after a careful consideration of several factors, including spread across various Faculties, and based on the conviction that the selected “research endeavours have the capacity to make substantial contributions  to the advancement of knowledge and research within the University.”

JAMB’s N500m Award

The University emerged the best institution at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) National Tertiary Admissions’ Performance-Merit Award (NATAP-M Award), for which it won a prize money of N500 million. The University has consistently remained the most subscribed institution by admission seekers since 2014. It has also been attracting the highest number of foreign students.

New Governing Council

After a period of apparent lull, the University got a new Governing Council headed by Surv. Abiodun Jacob Aluko. Other members of the new Council that was inaugurated on July 1, 2024, are Elder Ayobami Oladele Afolabi, Alhaja Abosede Juwon Olayiwola, Pharm. Racheal Tinuke Alabi, and Hon. Akeem Idowu Babatunde. They are to work with the internal Council members.

VC’s NIPR Fellowship

In recognition of his immense contributions to the advancement of Public Relations practice through his exemplary management style that has made the University the talk of the town, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, was conferred with the well-coveted Honorary Fellowship of the prestigious Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

A New Bursar

In line with the provisions of the University Miscellaneous Act, and following the consideration of the report of the Selection Board on the Appointment of Principal Officers, the Governing Council, at its 186th Meeting held on October 23, 2024, approved the appointment of Mr Abiodun Lawal, as the new Bursar of the University.

High Profile Retirements

The Year 2024 also witnessed the retirements of several academic juggernauts after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years. Some of these great Unilorites are two former Vice Chancellors, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, CON, and Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem; as well as a former Deputy Vice Chancellor,  Prof. Luke Ayorinde.

Our Wave-making Students

Students of the University also made remarkable waves in the year under review with landmark achievements in their various engagements that saw them flying the Better-by-Far flag aloft everywhere they went.

Eight of our students were offered internship opportunities by the Lassod Inc. UK. The opportunity is an initiative of the African Support Bureau for Entrepreneurship (ASBE). The selection of the students was sequel to a rigorous screening exercise they went through as designed by the company.

               A UNILORIN Debating Team emerged champions at the 11th All-Nigeria Universities Debating Championship, held in Abuja.

            At the grand finale of the Championship, held at Veritas University, Abuja, on September 14, 2024, the University of Ilorin students packed most of the available laurels.

              Earlier in the year, a 400 level student of the Department of Statistics, Qudus Owoyemi, barbed his way into the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records by sheer display of skills and precision in barbing acumen as he recorded the fastest time in completing five skin fade haircuts.

              Also, a final year student of the Department of Mass Communication and President of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), Miss Hannah Boluwatife Oladele, won the Broadcast Category at the sixth edition of the Campus Journalism Award in Abuja.  

And the Presidential Accolade

Indeed, Year 2024 was a very remarkable year for the University of Ilorin. It was parked full with numerous groundbreaking achievements, some of which were highlighted above.      

          Such was the profundity of most of the feats that not even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would gloat over them. The President, who is also the Visitor of the University, copiously acknowledged UNILORIN’s 2024 landmark achievements in his address during the 39th Convocation Ceremony of the University on October 22.

              Acknowledging the remarkable achievements of the University, which, he said, have earmarked UNILORIN as a true centre of academic excellence, the President noted that “the institution has continued to do well in fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment where students from diverse backgrounds come together to explore, learn and grow.”

            President Tinubu congratulated the Governing Council, management, staff, and students of the University for making the nation proud over the years.

           He specifically noted the N500 million cash award the University won from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), emphasising that it “is a reward for hard work, dedication, and commitment to always doing what is right.”

           A big kudos to the Better by Far citadel of excellence!