Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole on Monday outlined major achievements in research, academic excellence, infrastructure and student development on his watch.
Professor Egbewole , who assumed office on October 15, 2022, is expected to complete his 5-year single tenure next year.
He expressed delight that the university has gotten ranked the number one institution in Nigeria for research quality in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings under his Vice-Chancellorship..
Professor Egbewole, who said this on Monday while presiding over the press conference held as part of activities and programmes for the 41st convocation ceremony of the university which was attended by journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com, also highlighted several key achievements recorded during the 2025/2026 academic session:
Recall that the 41st convocation ceremonies commenced with a Jummah service last Friday.
The university, he noted, secured eight awards under the 2026 National Research Fund, worth over 260 million naira, and ranked first in Nigeria in Aquatic Science in the 2026 SCImago Institutions Rankings. The institution also received full accreditation for eleven academic programmes and a one-billion-naira TETFund intervention for equipment upgrades in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology.
To improve campus transportation, the university increased its fleet to twelve compressed natural gas buses and introduced twenty electric tricycles. It also recorded progress in digitalisation, research facilities and student welfare.
Talking about student achievements, he noted that a University of Ilorin law graduate, Israel Adekunle Adeniyi, emerged as the best graduating student at the Nigerian Law School in 2026. The university also recorded successes in national debate competitions, engineering, entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence innovation.
Four alumni were also according to him elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, while other graduates received notable appointments and international recognition.
The Vice-Chancellor further highlighted partnerships with local and international institutions, alongside donations from alumni to support research, water supply, and campus development.
He commended the university’s staff, students, alumni, and partners for their contributions, and reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to becoming Nigeria’s number-one university, ranking among the top ten in Africa and the top 500 globally.
The 41st Convocation Ceremony will according to him celebrate the graduating students and showcase the university’s continued progress.
The university, he added, has trained about 3,000 students in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to equip them with the skills needed to thrive in the global workforce and compete favourably in the evolving job market.
A total of 16,152 students will graduate during the 41st convocation ceremonies, with 365 earning first-class honours. Egbewole added that 11,213 students will receive first degrees, while 4,939 will be awarded higher degrees and diplomas.
365 students will according to him graduate with first-class honours, 4,367 obtained second-class upper division, 5,102 earned second-class lower division, 1,006 obtained third-class degrees, while 30 finished with pass degrees.
Commenting on the TRAM transit system project, he clarified and noted that while the vision has not yet translated into reality under his Vice-Chancellorship, it however remains a beautiful dream that will come to fruition in the future-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
