The University of Ilorin is committed to making its TRAM project come to fruition and there are no plans to abandon the project, Vice -Chancellor of the institution, Professor Wahab Egbewole ,has submitted.
Noting that a 24-month completion period had been proposed for the project if it had taken off as planned in March 2023, the VC however disclosed that while the estimated project cost was then between N200 million and N250 million it had since gone up to almost N2billion as a result of forex volatility.
Professor Egbewole disclosed this during the press conference he presided over in Ilorin on Thursday, which was attended by journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com .
It was held as part of the activities and programmes for the institution’s 39th Convocation Ceremony.
The Vice-Chancellor added that he was in China a few months ago during which he met with officials of a company and had since connected them with the firm in partnership with the institution in Nigeria, the Intramodal System Consortium while discussions had since begun.
The TRAM project ,when completed, will enhance transportation and ease things for workers and students at the institution.
A tram is an urban rail transit consisting of either individual railcars or self-propelled multiple unit trains that run on tramway tracks on urban public streets.
Egbewole has also disclosed plans to relocate car parks from the Main campus to a location off-campus in order to enhance security and also ensure that the institution’s transportation system is standardized.
The university which currently has about 20 patents and innovations to its name was also according to him recently announced as the institution with most patents by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology while its Laboratory-to-Product (LABTOP) Centre also emerged as the second runner- up during the Inaugural Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPPTO) awards in Abuja on January 31, 2024.
‘Some staffers and students at our university are currently undergoing a Distance Learning Programme at the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), Geneva’ he also disclosed.
The VC also said the institution has enhanced its processes through digital transformation, which has resulted in more efficient outcomes and also made the university get honored with ‘The Best Federal University in ICT Integration’ during the Nigeria GovTech Public Service Awards 2024 in Abuja , an event that was organized by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms.
‘The University of Ilorin has made remarkable progress in its digital transformation journey, greatly enhancing the efficiency, security, and accessibility of its service delivery systems. One of the most significant milestones was the migration of the University’s data and resources from the ICTP platform, which experienced hiccups and downtimes, to the globally recognized and secured Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform. This move has improved the University’s data security and system uptime, providing a more reliable foundation for the institution’s digital services.
Building on this robust foundation, the University developed and deployed a scalable integrated enterprise portal that consolidates various services and processes under one umbrella. This portal enables seamless communication and interaction among students, staff, and the administrators. The Enterprise Resource Portal (ERP) equips the university with an efficient system that can be accessed across departments, and it is integrated with everyday transactional and learning activities especially the Learning Management System (LMS). The Centre for Open and Distance Learning (CODL) commenced operations this session with the admission and matriculation of about 200 students in the various programmes offered in the Centre.
In the same vein, the university has successfully launched a website which will meet the 21st Century requirements. The successful migration of data from the old portal to the new enterprise portal ensured the continuity of operations without significant data loss, and the automation of several key processes further streamlined administrative functions. Notable automations include the University Admissions ranking system, which has made the admissions process more transparent and efficient and the Intra-University Transfer applications system for students who are not in good academic standing’ he said.
The Vice-Chancellor also used the opportunity to acknowledge the huge support received from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
‘In the year under review, the University continued to enjoy the support of TETFund. An intervention fund of One billion, six hundred and fifty-six million, nine hundred and forty-four thousand, nine hundred and thirty Naira only (₦1,656,944,930.00) was allocated to the University by TETFUND for the year 2024 and this covers eleven (11) areas including physical infrastructure/programme upgrade, Academic Staff Training, ICT support among others. The University equally received the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (₦250,000,000.00) only for Zonal Interventions to execute different projects’ Egbewole noted.
A total of 12,042 students would be graduating from the university while 256 among them would be graduating with First-Class honours.
‘For the 39th Convocation Ceremony, a total of 12,042 students would be graduating from the university. In the First Degree/Diploma category, we have 256 First Class, 3,842 Second Class (Upper Division), 6,178 Second Class (Lower Division), 1,299 Third Class and 62 Pass.
The 39th Convocation Ceremony also include 124 MB/BS graduands, 64 nursing graduands, 35 optometry graduands, 30 veterinary medicine graduands, 18 graduands with distinction and 85 graduands with pass in pharmacy, 1 distinction and 32 pass in physiotherapy.
We have a total of 16 diploma degree holders. Furthermore, the total number of higher degrees to be awarded at the 39th Convocation Ceremony is 1,875; out of this figure, there are 92 postgraduate diplomas, 1,280 master’s degrees from different faculties, 179 professional master’s degrees, 1 MPhil and 323 PhDs’ he said-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 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
