The Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin Prof. Wahab Egbewole has reiterated the commitment of the institution to create an enabling environment for the University to achieve its ‘Smart Agenda’.
Egbewole stated this at the annual Media Iftar with newsmen in Ilorin Kwara State at the weekend
He said “We need to create an enabling environment for our students to learn, for our staff to ply their trade and for the University to achieve its smart agenda.
It would be recalled that the Vice Chancellor during his inauguration and assumption of office in Ilorin said “I believe strongly in the human capital interest of this great university. Together, we can take the university to the topmost league in Africa if we are SMART.”
“The SMART university mantra entails that my administration, with your support, will be purposefully geared towards achieving sustainable development, monumental achievements, adaptive capacity, rapid response to change and team building.”
He expressed optimism that the progress the University is witnessing would not be diminished.
” We are also hopeful that we will ensure that the thrive we are presently having is not in any way diminished and that is why I can confidently tell you that the current Semester Examination is currently going to an end without any form of destruction in our academic calendar and we intend to continue to maintain that our position by God’s Grace.” He said
The VC also highlighted the achievement recorded in the University which includes infrastructural development, students welfare and others
“A number of infrastructural additions have come to our University. We completed the Chemical Engineering, we have also added value by creating the car park that is befitting of the structure. We have also renovated the number of facilities as we speak, we have also completed a number of new hostels.”
“We believe that the welfare of our students will be better taken care of. We have been able to add to our workforce by recruiting the approved number of 201 staffer academic and non teaching staff into our University. Our relationship with the Alumni has continued to improve between our last meeting and now, I’m pleased to inform you that the University of Ilorin produced another Minister in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the person of Doctor Jamila Bio. Minister of Youth and Development,
We also had the Chief Executive of National Sugar Development Council, in person of Mr Kamal Barike, we also have the pleasure of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nada as another addition and of course Senior Special Assistant to the president on Social Events, Princess Atiga Ajanan.
He also stressed the need to do things differently to be a global player.
“If we really want to be global player then we need to do things differently and that is why I believe that we are positioning ourselves as a University to the point that we should be self sustaining because that is the essence of an academic, you need to think outside of the bus on actually, without the bus, that is the only way we will end up becoming global players” he said
He commended unions in the University on the role played in the NASU and SSANU warning strike.
“In regards to the NASU and SSANU strike I have said it over and over that our Unions in the University of Ilorin are responsible unionists and our primary concern is our students and that’s why it was possible for us to have our examination without any hiccups.”
“I commend the union as well as the general staff for their responsible behaviour. They obeyed and I want to say with all sense of responsibility that the unions obeyed their leaders at the national level and went on strike but because of our understanding in the University, the unions that were not on strike assisted in creating a seamless process.
“I’m pleased to tell you that the University of Ilorin is the most outstanding University in Nigeria today” he added
