The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, has urged 11,213 first-degree graduands of the institution to justify the sacrifices of their parents, the university’s investment in their education and their personal efforts, by becoming agents of positive change in the society.
Egbewole made the call on Wednesday during the university’s 41st convocation ceremony, urging the graduands to deploy their knowledge, skills and values to address Nigeria’s challenges, including unemployment, insecurity, inadequate healthcare, food insecurity and declining moral standards.
Speaking on the theme, “Let This Investment Count,” the Vice-Chancellor warned the graduates against joining the growing number of Nigerians who merely complain about the country’s problems instead of developing practical solutions.
“Your certificate is not the end of your journey. It is the beginning of a greater responsibility. The world is waiting for you, and Nigeria needs you,” he said.
He explained that the graduates’ education represented three major investments: parental sacrifice, institutional commitment and personal effort, stressing that all three must yield meaningful results through responsible conduct, professional excellence and contributions to national development.
According to him, many parents and guardians had sacrificed their comforts, postponed personal ambitions and committed substantial resources to ensure their children acquired university education.
“The money that could have been used to build a house went towards your accommodation. The money that could have bought a car paid for your textbooks, learning materials and internet data,” Egbewole said.
He urged the graduands to honour these sacrifices by supporting their parents when they were able and making them proud through their achievements and contributions to society.
The Vice-Chancellor also reminded the graduates that they would become ambassadors of UNILORIN, noting that their conduct, integrity and professional competence would influence public perception of the institution.
“Today, we have entrusted that reputation to you. When you leave this campus, you will carry the name of UNILORIN wherever you go,” he said.
He encouraged them to become solution providers, whether as employees or employers, and to embrace honesty, hardwork and innovation in their chosen careers.
“Do not go into the world merely to join the growing queue of complaints. Go out there to create value and make desired positive change,” he added.
Of the 11,213 first-degree graduands, 365 earned First Class Honours, while 4,367 obtained Second Class Honours, Upper Division, and 5,102 graduated with Second Class Honours, Lower Division.
Another 1,006 earned Third Class Honours, while 373 fell into other degree classification categories recorded by the university.
The graduands included 19 in Medicine and Surgery, 89 in Nursing Science, 73 in Pharmacy, 41 in Optometry, 89 in Physiotherapy and 32 in Veterinary Medicine.
The university also recorded 4,939 postgraduate graduands across various higher-degree and diploma programmes, while another 3,511 were expected to graduate through its Centre for Affiliated Institutions.
Egbewole described the figures as evidence of the institution’s contribution to human capital development, noting that each graduate represented a story of resilience, determination, sacrifice and achievement.
Highlighting the university’s accomplishments, he disclosed that three undergraduates secured a combined N150 million under the Federal Government Students Venture Grant competition, with each beneficiary receiving N50 million to support an individual project proposal.
The beneficiaries are Abdullahi Babatunde and Abdulrazaq Alatare of the Department of Information Technology, and Shehu Mogoban of the Department of Optometry and Vision Science.
He said the achievement demonstrated the capacity of UNILORIN students to develop innovative ideas and translate them into practical solutions capable of generating economic and social value.
The Vice-Chancellor also announced that Oluwagbemiga Ojobaro, a 600-level Veterinary Medicine student, won the 2025 World Veterinary Association/MSD Animal Health Student Scholarship on March 9, 2026.
The competition attracted more than 1,000 veterinary students worldwide, with the scholarship carrying a $5,000 award.
Another 600-level Veterinary Medicine student, Ogundipe Grace, received a £2,950 summer studentship grant from Applied Microbiology International in the United Kingdom.
In another achievement, six undergraduates from the Department of Telecommunications donated weather forecasting equipment valued at approximately N500,000 to UNILORIN 89.3 FM Radio to improve the station’s capacity to provide timely and accurate weather information.
The Department of Microbiology also received scientific equipment valued at €59,846.02 for the XSTAR Project Nigeria, including a Luminex MAGPIX system, an ultrasonic bath, microplate shakers and other advanced laboratory instruments to strengthen research and scientific collaboration.
Egbewole said the achievements reflected the university’s commitment to human capital development, research, innovation and infrastructure, urging the graduands to use the knowledge and opportunities provided by the institution to contribute meaningfully to society.
Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Surveyor Abiodun Aluko, called on the Federal Government to increase funding for research in Nigerian universities, stressing that investment in research was indispensable to national development.
“No nation can develop beyond the level of research conducted in its universities,” Aluko said, urging the government to prioritise problem-solving and demand-driven research capable of addressing practical challenges facing the country.
He said adequate funding would enable universities to generate knowledge, develop innovations and provide solutions to national problems, adding that research remained central to sustainable economic growth and technological advancement.
The council chairman also celebrated UNILORIN’s improved international rankings, disclosing that the institution rose from 37th position in Nigeria in the previous year to fifth in the country in the 2026–2027 U.S. News and World Report Best Global Universities Rankings.
He further disclosed that the university ranked first in Nigeria and 18th in Africa in Aquaculture under the 2026 SCImago Institutions Rankings.
“This giant leap is not by luck. It is the result of deliberate focus on research output, academic visibility, citations, and the quality of our staff and students,” he said.
Aluko attributed the achievements to the commitment of the university community to academic excellence, research productivity and improved teaching and learning.
Reflecting on the institution’s development, he said UNILORIN had grown from a university that began about five decades ago with 200 students and a handful of staff operating from a temporary site into one of Nigeria’s most sought-after institutions, with more than 50,000 students.
He noted that the university’s golden jubilee, celebrated in November 2025, provided an opportunity to reflect on its core values of integrity, discipline and excellence, as well as its uninterrupted academic calendar spanning more than two decades.
The Pro-Chancellor commended Egbewole, his management team, the Senate, staff and students for sustaining academic stability, improving internally generated revenue, enhancing staff welfare, beautifying the campus and strengthening the university’s academic culture.
He also celebrated the achievements of the Faculty of Law and disclosed that several UNILORIN academic and non-academic staff members had been appointed to leadership positions in other institutions, including vice-chancellors, registrars, bursars and provosts.
Describing the university as a breeding ground for competent leaders, Aluko said, “UNILORIN is a leadership factory. When you train people in excellence and integrity, the world comes looking for them.”
He commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for interventions in the education sector through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that their support had contributed to infrastructure development, research and financial relief for students.
Aluko also praised the Federal Government’s staff welfare and housing loan schemes and its improved engagement with university-based unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
He said the relative industrial harmony in the university system had helped institutions sustain their academic calendars without disruption from strikes, describing the stability as valuable to the country’s education sector.
However, he urged the Federal Government to consolidate the gains by increasing research funding and strengthening support for universities to fulfil their academic and developmental responsibilities.
The council chairman also appreciated Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his support and hospitality towards the university, particularly for hosting delegates to the 37th Conference of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
Both university leaders congratulated the graduands and acknowledged the contributions of parents, guardians, staff, students, government and other stakeholders to the institution’s progress.
While Egbewole urged the graduates to ensure that the sacrifices and investments behind their education produced tangible benefits for society, Aluko stressed that sustained government investment in research was necessary to strengthen universities’ capacity to drive national development.
