From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s tertiary education system through increased investment in innovation, research, and skill-based learning.
Speaking at the 40th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Ilorin on Thursday, the President, represented by the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Professor Temidayo Oladiji, commended the institution for sustaining its legacy of discipline and academic excellence.
He described UNILORIN as a model university capable of driving Nigeria’s ambition to produce world-class scholars.
“As the University of Ilorin approaches its 50th anniversary, it continues to stand tall as a centre of excellence. Nigeria must begin to produce Nobel laureates, and I believe UNILORIN can lead that charge,” Tinubu said.
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He announced that UNILORIN has been selected as one of the host institutions for the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) Digital Innovation Hubs, designed to strengthen research capacity, promote digital skills, and nurture entrepreneurship among students.
According to him, “This hub will position Ilorin as a major innovation centre in Nigeria’s knowledge economy.”
The President further disclosed that the university is among 18 institutions benefiting from a N110 billion federal intervention aimed at expanding medical training facilities to boost the country’s healthcare manpower.
He encouraged the institution to continue its efforts in agriculture, aligning with national programmes such as the Livestock Development Initiative and the Green Money Project.
Acknowledging current economic difficulties, Tinubu appealed for patience and understanding from Nigerians, assuring that ongoing reforms will soon yield positive results. “I am aware of the hardships Nigerians are facing today, but they are temporary. The foundation we are laying will build a stronger and more inclusive economy,” he said.
Tinubu also explained the government’s decision to suspend the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, noting that the policy was meant to consolidate and strengthen existing ones. “We must prioritise quality over quantity,” he stressed.
The President lauded UNILORIN student, Sanusi Kazeem, who earned a Guinness World Record for the longest mathematics class, describing the achievement as a symbol of the creativity and determination of Nigerian youths.
While congratulating the graduating students, Tinubu urged them to embrace innovation and self-reliance. “Your degree is not a meal ticket but a call to serve. Be creative, be resilient, and be ready to shape the future,” he charged.
Representing the NUC, Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Professor AbduLateef Oladimeji, commended UNILORIN’s impressive performance in research funding, noting that the institution attracted over N12 billion in research grants from national and international partners in the last two years. “The University of Ilorin continues to demonstrate that with vision and commitment, world-class achievements are possible,” he said.
Vice Chancellor of UNILORIN, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), congratulated the 11,886 graduating students, including 316 First Class graduates, and urged them to remain disciplined and focused. “At 40, our university has matured. The future begins now—be deliberate in shaping your destiny,” he advised.
He highlighted outstanding student accomplishments, including the Guinness World Record holder Sanusi Akanbi Kazeem; two veterinary students, Karimot Abisola and Idris Nahimah Opeyemi, who won a $5,500 Global Morris Foundation Scholarship; and engineering student Qudus Aduraghemi, whose team secured €1,200 in a European innovation challenge.
Pro-Chancellor Surveyor Abiodun Aluko hailed President Tinubu’s education reforms as “revolutionary steps that are improving access and welfare in tertiary institutions,” citing the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund and payment of N50 billion in Earned Academic Allowances as key interventions.
He also commended Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for maintaining peace and urged the state government to extend its urban renewal project to the university’s access road.
“You belong to the Artificial Intelligence generation,” Aluko told the graduates. “Don’t just hit the ground running—take off flying immediately.”
The 40th convocation, which also marked the university’s golden jubilee, attracted dignitaries, scholars, and alumni from across Nigeria and beyond, reaffirming UNILORIN’s position as one of the country’s foremost centres of innovation, discipline, and academic excellence.
