UNILORIN, RUDN Varsity sign MoU on election monitoring, academic collaboration
By Tajudeen Babamale
The University of Ilorin and RUDN University, formerly known as Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen academic and institutional collaboration, including joint monitoring of the 2027 general elections in Nigeria.
Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony in his office last Monday (August 10, 2026), the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, said the partnership would expand existing areas of cooperation in election monitoring, academic research, staff and student exchanges, leadership development and postgraduate education.
He noted that the University’s Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) was already undertaking activities relating to the 2027 general elections and that collaboration with RUDN would complement those efforts.
Prof. Egbewole identified study tours, leadership development programmes, staff and student exchanges, joint research, publications and co-supervision of postgraduate students as areas that could be developed under the partnership, while urging the two institutions to identify critical Centres and Departments that could serve as focal points for sustained collaboration and establish dedicated teams to drive the implementation of the MoU.
The Vice Chancellor also observed the importance of reciprocity, noting that UNILORIN was prepared to contribute meaningfully to the success of the partnership rather than remain a passive beneficiary.
In his own remarks, the representative of RUDN University, Dr. Mustapha Muhammed Jamiu, said the MoU would formalise and expand an existing relationship between scholars of the two institutions.
Dr Jamiu, who is an Associate Professor of Communication, Media and Journalism Studies at RUDN University, explained that his longstanding relationship with scholars at the University of Ilorin has resulted in significant research collaborations, including at least three Scopus-indexed papers co-authored with Prof. Lambe Mustapha and Prof. Rasaq Adisa of the Department of Mass Communication, with other joint research projects currently ongoing.
He added that RUDN had jointly organised an international conference with the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences of UNILORIN, with the proceedings currently undergoing publication. He described these activities as evidence of an already established academic relationship that would now be strengthened through the formal MoU.
The RUDN don also disclosed that three UNILORIN alumni had benefited from fully funded scholarship opportunities at RUDN University through programmes and mentorship initiatives, including a former UNILORIN Student Union Secretary, Mr Usman Adeyinka Adebayo, who secured a fully funded Master scholarship at RUDN after participating in its mentorship programme and is expected to commence the programme in September.
Dr Jamiu, however, added that the partnership would create greater opportunities for academic mobility, research collaboration, election monitoring, postgraduate education, leadership development and other areas of mutual institutional interest between UNILORIN and RUDN University.
