Unilorin Graduates Over 13,868 Students as Institution Marks 40th Convocation and 50 Years of Academic Excellence
KEHINDE AKINPELU ILORIN
The University of Ilorin has announced the graduation of over 13,000 students for the 2024/2025 academic session as it celebrates its 40th convocation ceremonies and golden jubilee anniversary.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN), said the milestone represents both a moment of reflection and renewed commitment to the institution’s core values of excellence, innovation, and integrity.
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“This year, the University of Ilorin will graduate a total of 13,000 students, including 316 First-Class degree holders,” he revealed. “We also have 4,120 Second Class Upper, 5,939 Second Class Lower, 1,078 Third Class, and 11 Pass graduates. In addition, 1,520 postgraduate degrees, including 234 PhDs, will be conferred.”
Professor Egbewole highlighted that the university continues to set the pace in Nigeria’s higher education sector, with significant interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). “Through TETFund, we received over N2.5 billion to support infrastructure, ICT, and research. Additionally, NELFUND approved N1.59 billion for 12,983 of our students, ensuring that no student drops out due to financial hardship,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the institution’s research profile continues to rise globally, with Unilorin scholars earning thousands of citations on Google Scholar and winning national and international research grants. “This year, 81 academic staff received Senate Research Grants worth N177 million, while our researchers secured N220 million from the National Research Fund for eight projects,” he disclosed.
In the area of innovation, Unilorin’s Engineering team earned recognition from the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) for developing an electric vehicle campus shuttle. “We are proud of our staff and students whose creativity continues to position our university as a centre of innovation,” Egbewole said.
He also announced the commissioning of several projects during the convocation week by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including the new Faculty of Social Sciences building, renovated lecture halls, a remodeled Innovation Hub, and the Technical and Entrepreneurship Centre Road.
The Vice-Chancellor listed a series of convocation activities such as the lecture to be delivered by former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), titled “Gen-Z Playbook: Navigating Work and the Real World.”
On achievements, Egbewole mentioned the successful accreditation of 36 out of 37 programmes presented to the National Universities Commission (NUC), the establishment of a Science and Technology Innovation Park, and the introduction of the Unilorin Innovative Skills and Entrepreneurship (U-INSPIRE) programme designed to equip students with employability skills.
He added that partnerships with local and international institutions—including universities in Kenya, the United States, South Africa, Malaysia, and Tunisia—have further strengthened Unilorin’s global academic reach.
On student accomplishments, the Vice-Chancellor praised several outstanding individuals, including 18-year-old Faith Aduragbemi Olabisi, who qualified as a Chartered Accountant while still an undergraduate; and Mathematics student Sanusi Akanbi Kazeem, who broke the Guinness World Record for the longest mathematics lesson.
“The University of Ilorin remains a symbol of stability and excellence,” Egbewole stated. “Our journey from a modest beginning to becoming a global academic brand is a testament to the hard work, resilience, and vision of everyone who has passed through these walls.”
He called on stakeholders to sustain their support for the institution. “As we celebrate 50 years of impact, we must remember that transformation is a continuous process. Together, we will keep building a university that remains truly better by far,” he concluded
