From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, has challenged the institution’s 11,213 first-degree graduands, to justify the investments made in their education by becoming responsible citizens, creating value and providing solutions to Nigeria’s developmental challenges.
Egbewole gave the charge during the university’s 41st convocation ceremony, held at the University auditorium, urging the graduates to deploy their knowledge, skills and values to address challenges such as unemployment, insecurity, food shortages, inadequate healthcare and moral decline.
Speaking on the theme, “Let This Investment Count,” the Vice-Chancellor, said, the graduates must look beyond obtaining certificates and embrace the responsibility of contributing meaningfully to society.
Related News
“Your certificate is not the end of your journey. It is the beginning of a greater responsibility. The world is waiting for you, and Nigeria needs you,” he said.
He explained that the graduates’ education represented three major investments: sacrifices by parents and guardians, institutional resources committed by the university, and the personal efforts of the students.
According to him, many parents made enormous financial and personal sacrifices to secure university education for their children, sometimes foregoing personal ambitions and comforts to give them a better future.
“The money that could have been used to build a house went towards your accommodation. The money that could have bought a car paid for your textbooks, learning materials and internet data,” he said.
Egbewole urged the graduands to honour these sacrifices by supporting their parents when they were able and demonstrating through their conduct and achievements that the investment in their education had not been wasted.
He also reminded them that they were ambassadors of the university, whose actions and professional conduct would influence public perception of the institution.
“Today, we have entrusted that reputation to you. When you leave this campus, you will carry the name of UNILORIN wherever you go,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor challenged the graduates to become solution providers, whether as employees, entrepreneurs or employers, rather than joining those who merely complain about the country’s challenges.
“Do not go into the world merely to join the growing queue of complaints. Go out there to create value and make desired positive change,” he said.
Egbewole disclosed that 365 of the 11,213 first-degree graduands earned First Class Honours, while 4,367 obtained Second Class Honours, Upper Division, and 5,102 graduated with Second Class Honours, Lower Division.
Another 1,006 graduands earned Third Class Honours, while 373 fell into other degree classification categories recorded by the university.
The institution also produced graduates in critical professional fields, including 19 in Medicine and Surgery, 89 in Nursing Science, 73 in Pharmacy, 41 in Optometry, 89 in Physiotherapy and 32 in Veterinary Medicine.
In the postgraduate category, the Vice-Chancellor announced that 4,939 graduands had completed various higher-degree and diploma programmes.
The figure included 160 Postgraduate Diploma recipients, 901 Master’s degree recipients, 114 professional Master’s degree recipients, two Master of Philosophy graduands and 251 Doctor of Philosophy graduands, alongside other categories of higher qualifications reflected in the university’s official records.
An additional 3,511 graduands were expected to graduate through the Centre for Affiliated Institutions.
He described the figures as evidence of the university’s contribution to human capital development, noting that each graduand represented a story of determination, resilience, sacrifice and achievement.
Highlighting the institution’s record in innovation and research, Egbewole disclosed that three undergraduates secured a combined N150 million under the Federal Government Students Venture Grant competition, with each receiving N50 million to support a separate project.
The beneficiaries were Abdullahi Usman Babatunde and Abdulrazaq Abdulrasaq Alatare, both of the Department of Information Technology, and Shehu Abdulrahman Mogoban of the Department of Optometry and Vision Science.
He said the achievement demonstrated the capacity of UNILORIN students to develop innovative ideas capable of generating economic and social value.
The Vice-Chancellor also announced that Oluwagbemiga Ojobaro, a 600-level Veterinary Medicine student, won the 2025 World Veterinary Association/MSD Animal Health Student Scholarship on March 9, 2026. The competition attracted more than 1,000 veterinary students globally, with the award carrying a cash prize of $5,000.
Another 600-level Veterinary Medicine student, Ogundipe Olamide Grace, received a £2,950 summer studentship grant from Applied Microbiology International in the United Kingdom.
In a related development, six undergraduates from the Department of Telecommunications donated weather-forecasting equipment valued at approximately N500,000 to UNILORIN 89.3 FM.
The equipment, a Quadrifilar Helix Antenna system, is expected to strengthen the station’s capacity to provide timely and accurate weather information to listeners.
The students involved in the initiative were Idowu Peter Diovine, Solomon Sunday Oluwasomidotun, Akira Mercy, Ishola Odunayo Mary, Bello Abdulwadud and Anuwa Ezekiel Olanrewaju.
Egbewole further disclosed that the Department of Microbiology received scientific equipment valued at €59,846.02 for the XSTAR Project Nigeria. The consignment includes a Luminex MAGPIX system, an ultrasonic bath, microplate shakers and other laboratory instruments expected to enhance research activities.
He said the achievements reflected the university’s continued commitment to academic excellence, research, innovation and infrastructure development.
Meanwhile, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University’s Governing Council, Surveyor Abiodun Jacob Aluko, called on the Federal Government to increase funding for research in Nigerian universities, describing research as indispensable to national development.
Aluko made the appeal in his address at the convocation ceremony, stressing that universities must be adequately funded to produce research capable of addressing the country’s practical and developmental challenges.
“No nation can develop beyond the level of research conducted in its universities,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to prioritise problem-solving and demand-driven research, noting that universities could contribute more effectively to national development if researchers received adequate financial and institutional support.
The council chairman also celebrated UNILORIN’s improved international rankings, attributing the progress to deliberate efforts to strengthen research output, academic visibility, citations and teaching quality.
According to him, the university rose from 37th position in Nigeria last year to fifth position in the 2026–2027 U.S. News and World Report Best Global Universities Rankings.
He added that the institution ranked first in Nigeria and 18th in Africa in Aquaculture under the 2026 SCImago Institutions Rankings.
“This giant leap is not by luck. It is the result of deliberate focus on research output, academic visibility, citations, and the quality of our staff and students,” Aluko said.
He described the rankings as a reflection of the commitment of the university’s management, staff and students to sustaining high academic standards and expanding the institution’s global reputation.
Reflecting on the university’s growth, the Pro-Chancellor recalled that the institution began about five decades ago with 200 students and a handful of staff operating from a temporary site but had since expanded to accommodate more than 50,000 students.
He said the university’s golden jubilee, celebrated in November 2025, provided an opportunity to reflect on its founding values of integrity, discipline and excellence, as well as its record of maintaining an uninterrupted academic calendar for more than two decades.
Aluko commended Egbewole, the management team, Senate, staff and students for their contributions to the institution’s development, citing improvements in academic stability, internally generated revenue, staff welfare, campus beautification and academic culture.
He also celebrated the achievements of the Faculty of Law and congratulated graduating law students and their parents, noting that the university had continued to produce graduates who distinguished themselves in their professions.
The council chairman disclosed that several academic and non-academic staff members had also secured leadership appointments in other institutions as vice-chancellors, registrars, bursars and provosts.
“UNILORIN is a leadership factory. When you train people in excellence and integrity, the world comes looking for them,” he said.
Aluko further commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its interventions in the education sector through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
He said TETFund support for infrastructure and research had contributed to the development of tertiary institutions, while NELFUND had provided financial relief to thousands of students.
He also praised government initiatives on staff welfare and housing loans, alongside improved engagement with university-based unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union and National Association of Academic Technologists.
According to him, relative industrial harmony in the education sector had helped universities sustain their academic calendars without disruptions caused by strikes.
He, however, urged the Federal Government to consolidate these gains by increasing research funding and supporting universities to deliver solutions to national problems.
Aluko also expressed appreciation to the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for his support and cordial relationship with the university, particularly for hosting delegates to the 37th Conference of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
Both university officials congratulated the graduands and acknowledged the contributions of parents, guardians, staff and other stakeholders to the institution’s achievements.
While Egbewole urged the graduates to translate their education into positive change, Aluko called for stronger government investment in research to enable universities to contribute more meaningfully to national development.
The Vice-Chancellor concluded his address by reminding the graduands of their responsibility to their families, their alma mater and society.
“We have given you knowledge. We have encouraged you to embrace character. We have entrusted you with the discipline and values for which UNILORIN is known. Now, go out into the world and provide solutions,” he said.
He reiterated the central message of the convocation ceremony: “Let this investment count!”
