As UNILORIN warms up for Golden Jubilee
By Tajudeen Babamale
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has approved the commencement of activities for the 50th anniversary of the University slated for 23rd – 28th November, 2025.
This followed the presentation of the planned activities of the Golden Jubilee to a meeting of the Principal Officers on Friday, July 19, 2024, at the Vice-Chancellor’s Committee Room.
The Planning Committee is chaired by Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, College of Health Sciences.
The celebration will herald a monumental juncture since the establishment of the University by a decree of the Federal Military Government in August 1975.That 1975 decree, enacted to fulfill one of the educational objectives of the nation’s Third National Development Plan, aimed to provide greater opportunities for Nigerians aspiring to earn a university degree and to produce the high-level workforce essential for the country’s rapidly growing economy.
Over the past five decades, the University, recognised as the Most Outstanding Nigerian University of the Year 2023, has evolved from a modest institution into one of Nigeria’s finest, renowned for academic excellence, innovative research, and community service. Besides being the most preferred university by admission seekers for over ten years, it has also been deemed the most subscribed university in Nigeria by the international community.
This Golden Jubilee is a moment for the management (past and present), alumni, staff, and current students, who uphold its motto “Probitas Doctrina”, to reflect on the University’s rich history, achievements, and contributions to education and society. It will also be an occasion to pay tribute to the founding fathers who laid a solid foundation for the university and to successive administrations for their contributions to the advancement of this beloved institution.
The University of Ilorin began as a University College affiliated with the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s oldest university, in 1975 under the leadership of Dr. T. N. Tamuno. It attained full autonomous status in October 1977 with the appointment of its first Vice-Chancellor, Professor O. O. Akinkugbe. With 615 pioneering staff members, the first 200 students were admitted into three academic Faculties: Arts, Science, and Education. Following an entrance examination, academic activities commenced on October 25 after the Principal’s address. Today, the University accommodates 50,883 students across 16 Faculties, supported by 3,625 teaching and non-teaching staff.The institution has produced governors, vice-chancellors, industry captains, entrepreneurs, leaders, trailblazers, and opinion molders in diverse fields who have contributed to the growth and development of Nigeria, Africa, and the world. Notable alumni include the current Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the first alumnus to serve as Vice-Chancellor of his alma mater, Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede; the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, and immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah, the first woman neurosurgeon in West Africa, Dr. Salamat Ahuoiza Aliu; a banker and former acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Sarah Alade; the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa; and a former Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Others are a former Director General of the NYSC and Coordinator of Nigerian Military Aviation, Major General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi; the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina; the first Bioinformatics Professor in West Africa and President of the Nigerian Society of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Prof. Ezekiel Femi Adebiyi; a renowned human rights activist, Josephine Obiajulu Odumakin; a multiple award-winning investigative journalist, historian, polemicist, and songwriter who is also the Group Head, Current & Public Affairs at TVC News, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju; the Minister of Youth of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim; and a successful actor, producer, and film director, Mr. Femi Adebayo. The list is endless. Please join us in anticipation and prayer for the successful 50th anniversary of academic excellence.