education
39th Convocation Ceremonies and UNILORIN’s celebration of excellence
By Kunle Akogun
By all conceivable standards, the just concluded 39th Convocation Ceremonies of the University of Ilorin was suffused with all the trappings of a world class outing. At the ceremonies that held on October 21st and 22nd, 2024, a total of 12,042 graduands convoked. Of this number, 256 came out with First Class, 3,842 Second Class (Upper Division), 6,178 Second Class (Lower Division), 1,299 Third Class and 62 Pass. It also included 124 MB;BS graduands, 64 Nursing graduands, 35 Optometry graduands, 30 Veterinary Medicine graduands, 103 Pharmacy graduands, 33 Physiotherapy graduands, 16 Diploma holders, 92 Postgraduate Diplomas, 1,280 Masters, 179 Professional Masters, 1 MPhil and 323 Ph.Ds.
Meticulously conceived and superbly executed, this year’s convocation will, for a long time, remain the subject of positive discourse both within and outside the University campus. It was one of the best organised in recent times.
Not only were the habitual traffic jams, often associated with convocation days, dramatically absent this year, the main convocation arena –the surroundings of the University Auditorium – was devoid of the din and unruly hurly-burly that usually hallmarked the scramble for seating spaces by graduands’ parents, guardians and other guests desirous of having vantage views of the convocation proceedings inside the Main Auditorium.
To stave off unnecessary crowding of the Auditorium grounds this year, the Ceremonials Committee, headed by its workaholic Chairman, Prof. Adegboyega Adisa Fawole, had put in place superb arrangements whereby guests were comfortably seated in the expansive UNILORIN Multipurpose Hall, where they watched everything happening inside the Auditorium live on giant television screens! No moment was missed, as it was just like being inside the Auditorium itself.
The well-paved Pavilion behind the Auditorium, which was hitherto reserved for seating the guests in years past, was exclusively reserved, this year, for graduands who could not be accommodated inside the Auditorium. They too were comfortably seated under special canopies, watching everything that transpired inside the Auditorium live!
But beyond the fantastic organisational acumen of the Ceremonials Committee, the real essence of the two-day events –award of various degrees and prizes – was the real deal that gave the 39th Convocation Ceremonies its defining character. The array of guests, which included the representative of the Visitor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the representative of the Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; the representative of the Chancellor, the Emir of Katsina, HRH Alhaji (Dr) AbdulMumini Kabir Usman, CFR; the Pro-Chancellor and Governing Council Chairman, His Excellency, Surv. Abiodun Jacob Aluko; the Convocation Lecturer, Hon. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi; several Vice Chancellors from across the country, various traditional rulers, captains of industry, and many others, added great colour and intellectual verve to the occasion.
On hand to receive the guests was the multiple award-winning Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, ably assisted by his ever-supportive management team members. Throughout the ceremonies, you could feel the air of satisfaction going through the mind of the erudite Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law, who had, about five days earlier, at his traditional Press Briefing, enthusiastically reeled out a long list of achievements recorded by the University in the past 365 days.
But by far the most heart-warming and soul-lifting event of the convocation was the Visitor’s Address, read on behalf of President Tinubu by the immediate past Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu. In the Address, the President poured torrents of encomiums on the University of Ilorin, which he described as a veritable Centre of Excellence!
According to President Tinubu, the University “has continued to do well in fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment where students from diverse backgrounds come together to explore, learn and grow.”
The President expressed great delight in the giant strides of the University staff in groundbreaking patented research endeavours, while acknowledging the accomplishments of its students and Alumni in debates, quizzes, sports and other national and international competitions.
He particularly congratulated the Governing Council, Management, Staff, and Students of the University “for making the nation proud over the years”, noting that the University recently received an award as the most subscribed University in Nigeria, with a cash award of N500,000,000 from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The President pointed out that “this award is a reward for hard work, dedication, and commitment to always doing what is right”, saying, “I wish the University of Ilorin more success as I hope others would emulate the University.”
President Tinubu was not done yet, as he also congratulated the University on its recent award of the Best Federal University in ICT Integration by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, a development he described as “a further testimony to the giant strides of the University.”
He also congratulated the University on the forthcoming celebration of the 50th anniversary of its establishment. He noted that “the event is indeed worthy of celebration as the University is doing quite well in every realm”, adding that “alumni of this University are doing very well within and outside Nigeria and one can say without any fear of contradiction that the University of Ilorin is a front-liner among the nation’s Universities.
For the Better by far University, that lavish presidential kudos was the veritable icing on the proverbial cake of a very successful convocational outing! All thanks to the Midas’ touch of ‘Mr Efficiency”!
Akogun is the Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin has inducted 35 new veterinary doctors at its seventh induction/oath-taking ceremony.
Speaking as the Keynote Speaker at the event, a former Vice President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Dr. Bala Muhammed, told both the graduands and audience at the event that solutions to contemporary health challenges demand interdisciplinary cooperation.
“Solutions to today’s greatest health challenges cannot be designed in isolation—they demand cooperation across veterinary medicine, human medicine, environmental sciences, and public policy”, he added.
Muhammed, a veterinary surgeon, said: “The health of humans, animals, and the environment can no longer be treated as separate concerns.
“They are intricately linked, forming the foundation of the one health approach, a global strategy that requires collaboration across disciplines to achieve optimal health outcomes for all.”
He added that, “despite successes, veterinary services remain underfunded, under-recognized, and under-integrated into national health frameworks.
“Many countries, including ours, face surveillance blind spots, weak laboratory capacity, and governance silos.
“These gaps allow diseases to simmer unnoticed until they explode into public crises, with devastating health and economic consequences.
“To truly protect one world, we must invest in veterinary infrastructure and laboratories, foster collaboration among doctors, veterinarians, ecologists, and policymakers to strengthen education, funding, and data systems which empower community-centered prevention strategies. “Veterinarians must be recognized not only as responders but as guardians of planetary health.”
The President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Prof. Mathew Adamu, urged the graduands to uphold the ethics of the profession.
Prof. Adamu, who was represented by the Vice President of VCN, Halimah Gambo, urged the graduands to let the integrity be their watch word and serve with compassion.
According to him, taking care of animals as a veterinary doctor, means they are indirectly taking care of people of the nation.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN) who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Management Services, Prof. Adegboyega Fawole, charged the new vet doctors to be good ambassadors of the university.
Earlier, Dean of the Faculty Professor Saliu Ameen, said that the induction marked the formal licensing of these young doctors as veterinary professionals.
Professor Ameen added that, “this ceremony is not merely a ritual; it is a defining moment. It signifies the transition of our graduands from students of veterinary medicine to full members of a noble and globally relevant profession”.
Dr Kareemot Babalola, who spoke on behalf of the graduands commended their lecturers for the mentoring and tutorship for their six years rigorous of learning.
Babalola appreciated their parents for the spiritual, moral and financial support throughout the journey.
She, therefore, urged her colleagues to be good ambassadors of the institution and Nigeria.
End
By: Fabian Apechihin
The Kaduna State House of Assembly (KSHA) has passed a bill to establish the Tertiary Institutions Regulatory Agency and Other Related Matters, 2025.
The bill, passed during plenary on Tuesday under the leadership of Speaker Yusuf Dahiru Liman, is aimed at strengthening oversight of public and private tertiary institutions in the state.
Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Muhammad Lawal Ismail, told journalists after the session that the agency would serve as a “data bank” for student enrolment, programmes, and institutional compliance with state regulations.
“Before now, there was no body monitoring the relationship between teachers and students or ensuring institutions adhered to state rules and labour regulations,” Ismail said. He added that, unlike the National Universities Commission (NUC) which enforces national academic standards, the new agency would focus on Kaduna-specific requirements.
According to him, the agency will regulate both public and private colleges of education, including their fees, environment, and overall operations. “We believe His Excellency will assent to this for the betterment of our people because Kaduna is leading in terms of education,” he said.
In a related development, the Assembly also adopted a motion to regulate the activities of metal waste vendors across the state. The motion, sponsored by Aminu Lawal, member representing Doka/Gabasawa Constituency, seeks to promote environmental sustainability, protect public health, and enforce compliance with existing waste management laws.
Lawmakers unanimously backed the motion, warning that unregulated scrap metal trading has contributed to theft of public infrastructure and private property, endangering communities and costing the government millions of naira in repairs.
Do you want me to keep this as a formal legislative report (as it reads now), or make it more punchy and headline-driven for general news readers?
By: Fabian Apechihin
Starting October 6, Nigerian graduates will not be allowed to participate in or obtain exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) without complying with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
The directive, confirmed in a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, is backed by provisions of the NYSC Act.
The NERD databank, introduced by the Ministry of Education, aims to combat academic fraud and certificate racketeering by requiring students and institutions to upload verifiable academic outputs such as final-year projects, dissertations, and theses. Each submission must include the student’s full name, supervisors, head of department, and sponsoring institution.
“This serves as both a quality assurance measure and independent proof of genuine academic enrolment,” the circular stated.
The policy applies to all higher education institutions — federal, state, private, military, agricultural, and nursing colleges — as well as Nigerians who studied abroad and seek NYSC enrolment or exemption. Serving corps members and those mobilised before October 6 are exempt.
To support implementation, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other agencies have been directed to provide seamless data exchange. From March 30 every year, all institutions and relevant organisations must file compliance reports with NERD.
The initiative also features a reward system, enabling students and lecturers to earn lifetime revenues from their academic uploads.
According to the federal government, the policy is intended to restore credibility to Nigeria’s education system and ensure only graduates with verifiable credentials access the NYSC scheme.
Do you want me to make this more formal and policy-focused, or shorter and punchier like a breaking news report?
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