By Mujidat Oyewole, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
The University of Ilorin (Unilorin) has, over the past five decades, grown from humble beginnings into one of Nigeria’s most distinguished citadels of learning.
The institution has evolved into a national treasure and an emerging global academic brand.
Its “Better by Far” identity is no longer just a slogan; it has become a living testament to the university’s enduring culture of excellence, stability, innovation, and unwavering commitment to public service.
From the outcome of the October/November 2024 accreditation exercise, Unilorin achieved a remarkable 100 percent success rate in the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation.
Out of the 37 academic programmes presented for evaluation, 36 received full accreditation, while one earned interim accreditation, a clear testament to the university’s commitment to academic excellence and quality assurance.
In another remarkable milestone, Sanusi Kazeem, a 400-level student of the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Physical Sciences, made history by breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest Mathematics lesson.
His extraordinary feat — a 31-hour, 42-minute, and 54-second marathon session — surpassed the previous record of 26 hours, earning him national and international recognition.
Equally inspiring is Miss Faith Olabisi, an 18-year-old student of the Department of Accounting, who distinguished herself by qualifying as a Chartered Accountant after successfully completing the 2024 professional examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) — a rare accomplishment for someone her age.
In another remarkable achievement, Khafeelat Sadiq of the Department of Adult and Primary Education and Roseline Olarinde of the Centre for Cultural Studies and Creative Arts were awarded the Erasmus Mobility Scholarship under the KA171 Agreement with the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany.
Mr Kunle Akogun, Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, recounted how Unilorin, one of the second generation universities established in 1975, rivalled its contemporaries established the same year and even those that were established before it.
“At inception, the university started with three faculties (Arts, Education and Science).
“Now, it is a 16-faculty citadel of learning; it also has 108 academic departments, with no fewer than 50,000 students and 3,476 members of staff.
“Since the 2013/2014 academic session, the university has maintained a reputation of being the most sought-after university by admission seekers and many factors are responsible for this feat.
“These include the good name the university has made for itself, the high quality of its graduates, its tradition of maintaining stable academic calendar, high moral standard of its students and graduates, coupled with academic excellence and its beautiful and serene environment.”
He said that the university’s 11th Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, had not only sustained the legacy of excellence bequeathed to him by his predecessors, he had also greatly improved on it since coming on board on Oct. 17, 2022.
“The three-year old administration of Egbewole has recorded several landmark achievements in all spheres of the university’s core mandates of teaching, research, and community service.
“Egbewole has returned Unilorin to global university convergence, driving its global visibility by reigniting its strategic membership commitment in the Association of West Africa Universities (AWAU), where he was elected as the Secretary General in 2023.
“Another milestone is the Consortium of Universities U6+, with Uni Ilorin as a founding member; the Association of African Universities (AAU), where the Vice-Chancellor was elected the Vice-President (Western Africa) in 2025; the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), and International Association of Universities (IAU),’’ he said.
The UniIlorin chapter of the Mission:BRAIN also made history by emerging as the highest award-winning chapter of the global foundation in 2024, clinching three major awards — Service and Compassion, Healing Hands, and Academic Leadership — in recognition of its exceptional outreach and academic initiatives.
In sports, three of the university’s student-athletes — Aina Olukayode, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, and Mustapha Ruqqayat — qualified at the World University Games Trials hosted by the University of Jos in April.
By this qualification, the trio will represent Nigeria in the 100m, 110m hurdles, and shot put events respectively at the World University Games in Germany between July 14 and July 28, a feat that brought pride to the Unilorin community.
The Chairman of the 50th anniversary committee, Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Unilorin’s College of Health Science, reiterated that the university landmark covered 15,000 hectares of land, making it one of the largest universities in Nigeria and Africa by landmass.
Mokuolu revealed the contributions of the institution to its host community, with the establishment of a Community-Based Experience and Services (COBES)–an initiative that provides students with hands-on experience in solving real-world problems.
“COBES projects cover a range of areas, including providing medical aid, supporting farming initiatives, rehabilitating public facilities, organising career talks, teaching, and providing educational materials.
“The initiative enhances students’ skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and community engagement, while contributing to the development of host communities.
“The programme has received recognition from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for its excellence in research and manpower development,’’ he said.
Moving forward, just as the vice-chancellor’s vision for the university to make the institution the best in Nigeria, one of the best 10 in Africa and one of the 500 top-notch universities in the world, Mokuolu said that there was need to continue improving in literacy, technology, entrepreneurship and creating environment for innovation.
In the field of research and scholarship, Unilorin staff continue to make remarkable global impacts through their citations and publications on Google Scholar, affirming the university’s research credibility and visibility in the global academic community.
Leading the pack is Dr Ismail Odetokun, an Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, who recorded an impressive 11,826 citations.
He is closely followed by Dr Afis Basiru of the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry with 11,755 citations and Prof. Olugbenga Odebode of the Department of Surgery, who has 11,073 citations.
Rounding out the top ten is Prof. Kolawole Wahab of the Department of Medicine with 6,379 citations.
These outstanding figures underscore the university’s sustained commitment to high-impact research, innovation, and international academic relevance.
Reflecting on the institution’s steady progress, Egbewole noted that upon assuming office three years ago, he unveiled an ambitious action plan anchored on five guiding principles — academic excellence, innovation, institutional integrity, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.
According to him, these pillars represent a transformative vision for repositioning Unilorin to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world while remaining deeply rooted in its founding values.
“We set our minds to the need for our university to press the reset button — for the sun to rise again,” he said.
In recognition of distinguished service and academic contributions, the Senate of the university, in January, approved the appointment of three illustrious retirees as Emeritus Professors — Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, Prof. Olu Obafemi, and Prof. Musbau Akanji.
For the 2025 fiscal year, the university received an impressive N2.5 billion TETFund allocation, covering 11 key areas of development, including physical infrastructure and programme upgrade, academic staff training, ICT support, entrepreneurship development, and career services enhancement, among others.
In addition, Unilorin benefited from a N300 million Zonal Intervention Fund to execute several priority projects aimed at improving learning and research facilities across the campus.
The university also secured a Special High Impact Project (SHIP) valued at N4 billion, dedicated to the comprehensive upgrade of facilities at the College of Health Sciences, alongside an additional N750 million grant for the construction of a modern hostel within the college.
The award was formally presented by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, on April 29.
Stakeholders say the university’s commitment to excellence was further recognised when it emerged runner-up at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) 2025 National Tertiary Admission Performance Merit Award (NATAP-M), earning a cash prize of N75 million.
Worth of note, Dr Tunji Olowolafe sponsored 40 academic staff to international conferences to the tune of N200 million; supported his 1984 medical set with Anatomage Machine to the College of Health Sciences, worth N40 million and a brand new Hilux vehicle to the university.
Similarly, a total of N600 million was generously donated to the university during the Award of Excellence and Investiture Ceremony for distinguished alumni and Unilorin Ambassadors, held in July 2025.
This landmark event not only showcased the enduring loyalty and pride of Unilorin’s alumni network but also reflected their deep commitment to sustaining the university’s legacy of excellence and service.
Yet, amid these remarkable strides, it is important to acknowledge the challenges that have, at times, tested the university’s resilience.
Foremost among them are resource constraints, which have impacted infrastructural expansion, as well as the recruitment and retention of top-tier academic talent.
Equally daunting are bureaucratic bottlenecks, navigating regulatory frameworks and legacy systems that have occasionally slowed the implementation of key reforms.
A third, and perhaps more complex challenge lies in the rapidly changing educational landscape, where evolving technologies and global best practices demand constant agility and adaptation.
Balancing innovation with tradition, in such a dynamic environment, is no small feat.
However, rather than allowing these obstacles to derail its progress, the university has drawn strength and purpose from them.
Each setback has been transformed into an opportunity to rethink, redesign, and recommit to its mission of excellence.
Observers say the above listed feats form the story of a university that has remained uninterrupted in its academic calendar, unwavering in its standards, and unyielding in its vision to become a world-class citadel of learning.(NANFeatures)
***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.
