Campus News

UNILORIN: Why 50 years of existence is worth celebrating

Excerpts from a paper presented by MR KUNLE AKOGUN, mnipr, Director, Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, at the March 2025 PR Clinic organised by the Kwara State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) on 6th March, 2025

The University of Ilorin has always been an outstanding brand that has achieved a number of feats in all areas of its core mandates. So, our efforts at the Corporate Affairs Directorate, in the build up to the golden jubilee of the University, would be geared towards projecting and promoting these attainments in compelling narratives that would easily captivate our stream of stakeholders, which include the Federal Government and its relevant agencies, international organisations with which the University has one form of association or the other, the media, admission seekers and their parents, our alumni, the host community, the workforce, as well as current students.

Since 2012, the University has enjoyed top-notch positive publicity and seamless reputation management. Coupled with a succession of progressive, visionary and hardworking Vice Chancellors, the passionate PR efforts of the University’s communication team have ultimately earned UNILORIN the numero uno spot in the committee of Nigerian universities.

For instance, the University operates the most peaceful campus in Nigeria for the past two decades; it has been the most preferred institution of higher learning by admission seekers since 2014; it recently emerged as the overall best tertiary institution in the country at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Award (NATAP-M) for which it got a prize money of N500 million. The University consistently won the four previous editions of the Award for being the most preferred institution and the University with the highest population of foreign students in the country.

Remarkably, the University has made several giant strides since the advent of the Prof. Wahab Egbewole’s Administration in October 2022. Right from his first day in office, the renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and consummate Law teacher has left no one in doubt about his messianic mission and transformative agenda. By words and action, he had demonstrated to everybody that he means business, serious business.

Generally, our PR narratives would ensure that the achievements and contributions of the University to national development are properly advertised through the celebration.

Some of the feats achieved by the University over the years, especially in the last two years that made the celebration imperative, and which would form the fulcrum of our PR narratives, would include, but not limited to:

·              a harvest of national and international honours and awards won in quick succession by UNILORIN lecturers and students;

·              sterling performances by some of the University’s Faculties in global academic performance ranking;

·              sustenance of the University’s winning streak of over 11 years back-to-back as the preferred choice of admission seekers;

·              rating as the 3rd Best University in Nigeria based on the quality and quantity of scholarly outputs of its academic staff members for three straight years on Elsevier/Scopus – SciVal;

·              ranking of four of the University’s Faculties and 11 of the courses offered at the institution among the world’s best by the Times Higher Education (THE) in 2023;

·              rating of the University as the 9th Best Value University among the 149 universities in Nigeria;

·              rating of the University among the top 21% Best Value Universities globally;

·              development of drought-tolerant and striga-resistant hybrid maize by a team of the University’s researchers;

·              successful hosting of the 3rd Summit of the D-8 Network of Pioneers for Research and Innovation (D-8 NPRI) in an unmistakable manifestation of the steady progress in the University’s internationalisation drive;

·              conferment of the Most Outstanding University Award by a leading Nigerian newspaper, The New Telegraph on the University in 2024;

·              establishment of two new Centres  – the Centre for Blue and Regenerative Economy and the Centre for Gender Studies — in line with the University’s community service mandate;

·              signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power;

·              launch of the U-INSPIRE initiative to expand the skills acquisition programme for undergraduate students; and

·              conferment of the prestigious NIPR Fellowship on our hard working and award-winning Vice Chancellor in recognition of his immense contributions to the advancement of Public Relations practice through his exemplary management style.

               These and so many other attainments are objects of pride that are worthy of being showcased to the world, and the forthcoming 50th anniversary celebration would provide a very convenient platform to do this!

How do we go about it?

Media Relations: To deliver a well rehearsed and successfully executed anniversary publicity package, we would continue to leverage our robust relationship with the media to ensure massive coverage and reportage of the anniversary activities. And, of course, our own in-house media outlets, the UNILORIN Bulletin, the UNILORIN FM radio, and the UNILORINTv would also play prominent roles in this regard.

Social Media: We will also leverage Social Media platforms to create massive awareness and project the anniversary activities as they unfold in the build-up to the main event.

Thought Leadership: We will position the anniversary as the major event of the year. By strategically exposing the Vice Chancellor and the Anniversary Committee Chairman to the media from time to time, we hope to keep the issues relating to the anniversary constantly on the front burner throughout the period of the golden jubilee celebration. 

Distinct Identity: The anniversary activities have been strategically and deliberately separated from the annual Convocation ceremonies even though the two are expected to hold around the same time. While the convocation comes up in October, the grand finale of the golden jubilee will hold in November as a distinct event.

Stakeholders’ Engagements: The alumni of the University scattered across the world will play prominent part in the celebration. Specifically, 50 distinguished alumni of the University including world class scholars would be unveiled during the golden jubilee in recognition of their contributions to national and human development.

Landmark Events: Among other commemoratory projects, a N50 billion Innovation Hub would be inaugurated during the celebration.

Established in 1975, the University of Ilorin has produced governors, vice-chancellors, industry captains, professionals, entrepreneurs, leaders, trailblazers, and opinion moulders in diverse fields where they are contributing to the growth and development of Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.

               To be sure, the golden jubilee will be a celebration of 50 remarkable years of academic excellence, research breakthroughs, and unmatched contributions to national development. Indeed, it will be a golden opportunity for us to honour the past, celebrate the present, and ignite the future!