Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Alumni Association of the University of Ilorin has been charged to drive programmes that would enhance employability, create opportunities, stimulate endowments, and facilitate scholarships and grants for the University, its members, and future graduates.

The charge was made on Wednesday by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, on the occasion of the University of Ilorin 50th Anniversary Alumni Colloquium Day and Award Presentations.

Prof. Egbewole, who said the University’s current operations must expand to accommodate these expectations, urged the Alumni Association to establish platforms that would allow them to track every graduate, and provide avenues for graduating sets, course mates, or combined alumni groups to express themselves meaningfully through a properly coordinated national body.

He said: “This body must interface more deeply with the University to harmonise these efforts and ensure lasting impact. As critical stakeholders, alumni must serve as brand ambassadors, mentors, and sources of financial, intellectual, and moral support. From this anniversary onward, alumni must look Inward for ideas and outward for opportunities that can elevate the University in every form.

“The body must familiarise itself with the University’s strategic plans and build bridges – identifying critical partners such as telecommunications firms, research platforms, industries, security agencies, and both local and international institutions-that can be mobilized to support our growth.”

The VC stressed the need for the Alumni to connect with their roots, communicate the University’s vision clearly, and embrace the power of technology which now shapes the world, adding that “for a people seeking global recognition, we must rise above outdated practices. We must automate, innovate, and redesign our processes to make them faster, easier, affordable, efficient, and satisfactory in both content and delivery”.

Egbewole added: “We must move from the traditional alumni approach to an integrated partnership alumni model. By this, I mean alumni must enter into a dynamic, mutually beneficial relationship with the University. Alumni should see themselves as part of the day-to-day life of the institution, serving, among others, as reputation and prestige managers, and fundraisers, initiators of life-long projects and mentors of current students, and providers of scholarships and sponsorships.

“This integrated model is the future. It is the bridge between where we stand today and the global university we aspire to become.
Our Commitment to Modernisation and the Future.”

Prof. Egbewole disclosed that his administration has started the full automation of University’s administrative processes, including the issuance of transcripts – a service which had previously posed significant challenges, saying “we have now reduced the processing time to minutes for all graduates”.

He added: “We are also pursuing self-reliance in electricity generation, aiming for a 24/7 power supply that will make life more comfortable for our students and staff, while providing the stable power required for research and innovation.”

In his speech as Guest Speaker at the event, former Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who is also an Alumnus of the University, said the choice of theme—’From UNILORIN to Glocalization’—is both timely and strategic, adding that, “as an individual whose life was profoundly influenced by this University, all I have achieved in public service, banking, and beyond began here”.

He added: “The lecture halls sharpened my thinking, the libraries broadened my perspective, and this campus transformed me from a questioning student into a professional committed to finding solutions for Kwara and Nigeria.

“Our theme, ‘From Unilorin to Glocalization,’ presents a challenge: must we choose between local roots and the global stage? We are deeply rooted here, yet must engage with a rapidly changing world. Our graduates should be prepared not only to compete but to lead.”

The former Governor, who noted that the world would not wait, nor slow down to accommodate institutional inertia, stressed the need for the University of Ilorin to
become a global institution where students learn to solve local problems with world-class tools and address global challenges with contextual wisdom.

“Rooted, yet reaching, this evolution ensures that we remain true to our foundations while addressing the demands of the future. This is not a departure from our identity. It is its fullest expression”, he added.

Globalisation, he said, is not about pursuing international rankings, imitating Western universities, or diluting Nigerian identity, but rather it is about integrating global knowledge with local context to create solutions that are both innovative and relevant, world-class and homegrown.

He added: “For example, a farmer in Kwara State faces local challenges such as post-harvest losses, unpredictable weather, and limited access to credit and markets. Globally available tools, satellite data, modern equipment, machine learning, and mobile payments—can address these issues.

“A global university teaches students to use and adapt these tools creatively, generating knowledge that serves local needs and sets new standards for others.
We have seen this model work elsewhere, and it has also been successful here in Nigeria. Consider Stanford University. It did not become world-renowned by isolating itself from its local environment. It embraced Silicon Valley, building partnerships with technology companies, encouraging faculty and students to commercialise research, and creating interdisciplinary labs where engineers, biologists, and designers worked side by side.

“Let us commit, together, to realizing this vision at the University of Ilorin. I urge each of you—students, faculty, alumni, partners—to join in shaping curricula, forging industry ties, supporting new research, and mentoring the next generation. Let us pledge today to apply our knowledge, resources, and networks to drive this transformation, ensuring that our institution not only celebrates its proud past but boldly shapes the future for Nigeria and the world.”

Ahmed urged the University of Ilorin to expand its partnerships with leading global universities—not to become replicas of them, but to learn from them strategically. He said; “Joint degree programs, faculty exchanges, collaborative research projects, and co-taught courses that apply international methodologies to Nigerian case studies—these are the bridges that connect us to global knowledge networks while keeping us firmly rooted in our mission Finally, we must foster comprehensive cultural and linguistic literacy. Our students should graduate proficient not only in English, but also in indigenous languages and, where appropriate, other global languages.”

He also urged UNILORIN to establish a University-Industry Fellowship and Mentorship Scheme that systematically connects student teams with alumni entrepreneurs, business leaders, and diaspora professionals who can provide mentorship, seed funding, and market access.

End