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Tag: UNILORIN

  • 48 to bag UNILORIN first class degree certificates

    48 to bag UNILORIN first class degree certificates

    Forty eight graduands of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) will be awarded first class degree certificates at this year’s convocation ceremony of the institution.

    In a statement, the institution’s Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun indicated that the 48 first class graduates  are among the 5,421 graduands, who will receive  their first degrees in various disciplines at this year’s convocation, which is the 30th in the series.

    The convocation ceremonies come up October 23rd this year.

    Mr. Akogun explained that a total of 1,190 are graduating with the second class upper degree; 2,814 graduands will be awarded the Second Class Lower degree while  1,068 will bag the third class degree and 84 will get the pass grade.

     To convoke also are 18 Diploma graduands, 642 masters degree 106 Ph.D and 142 postgraduate Diploma graduands.

    “A further breakdown of the performance of the graduands shows that 12 of the First Class graduates are from the Faculty of Engineering; 11 are from the Faculty of Physical Sciences; nine  from the Faculty of Life Sciences; six from the Faculty of Agriculture and five from the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences. The Faculty of Management Sciences produced two First Class graduates this year while the Faculties of Arts, Basic Medical Sciences and Education produced one first class graduate each.

    “The Faculty of Education is producing the highest number of graduating students this year with a total of 1,640, followed by the Faculty of Physical Sciences (694), the Faculty of Arts (627), the Faculty of Life Sciences (491), the Faculty of Social Sciences (431) and the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (299).

    “Others are: the Faculty of Management Sciences (254), the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences (238), the Faculty of Agriculture (224), the Faculty of Clinical Sciences (217), the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (168), and the faculty of Law (156).

    “In the postgraduate category, the Faculty of Management Sciences will issue 147 higher degrees, made up of 66 postgraduate Diplomas, 77 Masters degrees and four Ph.Ds. This is followed by the Faculty of Physical Sciences with 145 higher degrees, consisting 18 postgraduate Diplomas, 104 Masters degrees and 23 Ph.Ds. The Faculty of Arts is issuing 122 higher degrees, made up of 102 Masters degrees and 20 Ph.Ds while the Faculty of Education will present 121 graduands for higher degrees.

    “Others are: the Faculty of Life Sciences, 89 higher degrees; the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, 70; the Faculties of Agriculture and Law, 50 each; the Faculty of Social Sciences, 42; the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, 31; and the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, 23,” Akogun stated

  • Webometric ranking: UNILORIN ‘best in Nigeria’

    Webometric ranking: UNILORIN ‘best in Nigeria’

    The 2014 University Webomeric Ranking of Universities has adjudged University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) as the best in Nigeria.

    The ranking, conducted by International Colleges and Universities (4ICU) and released on July 29, rated the university as the 20th best in Africa and 1842nd in the world.

    The 4ICU is an international higher education search engine and directory that constantly reviews accredited universities and colleges across the world.

    In the latest exercise, it ranked about 11,307 colleges and universities by web’s popularity in over 200 countries.

    In this year’s ranking, the University of Lagos came second in Nigeria and 21st in Africa while the third position goes to Obafemi Awolowo University, which is also 26th in Africa.

    Also on the ranking table are: the University of Ibadan, 4th in the country and 38th in Africa; the Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, 5th nationally and 59th in Africa; Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, 6th in Nigeria and 63rd in Africa; the Federal University, Minna, 7th in the country and 71st in Africa.

    The University of Benin, 8th in the country and 82nd in Africa; the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, 9th in Nigeria and 87th in Africa; and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 10th in Nigeria and 89th in Africa.

    The UNILORIN’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, described the rating as a product of hard work and dedication to service by every member of the university community.

  • 105,000 applied to UNILORIN in last UTME, says VC

    105,000 applied to UNILORIN in last UTME, says VC

    About 105,000 candidates applied to the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) this year although the university can admit only 9,000, the Vice Chancellor, Prof AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has said.

    He told reporters at the weekend in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, that the institution’s stable academic calendar and quality make it the most-sought after in Nigeria.

    Prof Ambali said “this year, we had 105,000 applicants. UNILORIN is the most sought-after university. University of Benin, which is second to us, had over 60,000 applicants.

    “Unfortunately, we have capacity for 9,000. We just concluded the last batch of post-UTME screening. In the next few days, we will sit down and analyse the results.”

    The vice chancellor said his administration is  renovating classrooms and lecture theatres to make them conducive for teaching and learning.

    “The classrooms are being renovated. We are building four lecture theatres. Through the NEEDS assessment we hope to build more lecture theatres of about 600-seating capacity. This will enhance teaching and learning.

    “We want to improve the quality of staff. We are training more staff. In fact through TEFUNDS, we are sending about 14 abroad for their doctoral degrees in various disciplines.

    “The disciplines include library and information, engineering, pharmacy, bio-sciences, industrial microbiology, law, mathematics, health service management, nursing etc.

    ‘’The more doctoral staff the better the quality of teaching and research. We encourage our staff to attend international conferences and seminars. Forty will soon embark on international conferences.”

  • UNILORIN benefits from Carnegie grant

    UNILORIN benefits from Carnegie grant

    Two departments at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) will be providing training for students to effectively fill roles in Nigeria’s movie industry. The initiative would be sponsored by Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship programme,

    Prof Anthonia Kalu, a Carnegie fellow from Ohio State University, Colombus, USA, said under the programme, students of the Departments of English and Performing Arts would be trained as writers and artistes.

    Speaking  at the UNILORIN’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali’s office, Prof Kalu said her job would entail initiating and leading activities in several formats, such as the formation of reading groups that would examine and discuss works on prevailing theories and applications in African literature and the performing arts.

    “Nigeria’s growing dominance in the performance arts through Nollywood suggests that the University of Ilorin should begin to participate more fully and consistently in the training of writers and artists, who will participate in strengthening cross-cultural discussions that will enable and support national development,” she said.

    Prof. Kalu added that she would also be leading workshops on critical writing, faculty and student mentoring, and on how to establish and maintain viable research programmes. She explained that all activities would focus on Nigerian literature, performing arts, and its practice in the region.

    The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship programme, she said, is aimed, among other things, at reversing brain drain. “It is a chance to bring Africa back to its feet,”she said.

    Prof. Ambali in his remarks expressed joy to see the fruit of his internationalisation drive.  He congratulated the two departments for winning the grant and assured Prof Kalu that the University would provide all necessary support to ensure the success of the programme.

    While introducing the Carnegie Fellow, the Director, Centre for International Education (CIE), Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, informed the Vice-Chancellor that she had visited the University to facilitate curriculum development and the establishment of the Department of Anthropology and Cultural Study.

    Meanwhile, students of the university that underwent an internship programme at the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) came out tops and have been offered permanent employment at the firm.

  • Governor’s aide lights up UNILORIN

    Governor’s aide lights up UNILORIN

    The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Kwara State Governor on Information Technology, Hamza Usman, has donated about N5million worth of Light Emitting Diode (LED) outdoor display unit to the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

    The device, comprising a perspective viewing LED, attached air conditioner, casing and inner cooling system was recently donated to the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Abdulganiyu  Ambali.

    Usman graduated from the department of Computer Science of the Vice Chancellor university about 12 years ago.

    Speaking of the initiative, Usman said that the donation was an opportunity to give back to his alma mater.

    “Running of a university like this should not be left in the hands of the administration alone,” he said.

    The SSA dedicated the donation to his parents.

    He said: “The device is an LED display unit rated P10. Its size is 2.65square meter.  I wish to dedicate this donation to my wonderful parents, especially, in loving memory of my late mother, Hajiya L. A. U. Sadik who strived hard to see me through this university, and was always my source of encouragement.

    This donation is further predicated on the evidential growth which the University of Ilorin has recorded under the successive administrations and particularly, the present one, which is deeply focused on fostering CSR and other intervention projects from the private sector, and indeed the alumni of the University.”

    Usman also said the device can be useful for communication purposes.

    “It is a communication device that the university can use in showcasing some of its activities to visitors and that informed its positioning at the Senate building arena,” he said.

    In a remark, Ambali thanked the donor for his contribution.

    “I thank you most sincerely for this donation of LED board which is better than what we had. You are actually helping us to make the University of Ilorin better by far. We are grateful and we need people like you,” he said.

  • ‘Emphasise intelligence gathering’

    ‘Emphasise intelligence gathering’

    The Director of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Dr Mharfuz Adedimeji, has urged the Federal Government to use more intelligence gathering to tackle the growing Boko Haram insurgency.

    Dr Adedimeji advised the Federal Government to adopt the “carrot and stick” strategy to rescue the over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents.

    He said the government should not close the door against negotiations with the sect.

    The English teacher told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, noting that the approach should be hard and soft because there must be dignity in human life.

    He added: “When two elephants fight, it is the grasses that suffer. The terrorists are animals. So, we should not reduce ourselves to their status because human lives are involved here. The government should rely more on a soft option.”

     

  • Insurgency: UNILORIN, UNIBEN NAU, UNILAG top list of first choice

    Insurgency: UNILORIN, UNIBEN NAU, UNILAG top list of first choice

    Students seeking admission into universities have opted for institutions located in safer places than troubled spots. The development followed insurgency in some parts of the country.

    Some of the students are also avoiding either strike-prone universities or those with spill over academic calendar

    Most students have opted for University of Ilorin, Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka and the University of Lagos.

    Statistics of Choice of institutions released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination indicated that students have low preference for universities and their affiliates in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    Out of 181 institutions, only three universities in the North-West and North Central were among the top 10 of first choice of students.

    The affected institutions in the North are UNILORIN, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and University of Jos which had been running normal academic session.

    No university in the North-East emerged as one of the favoured institutions by UTME candidates.

    The analysis also showed that the same scenario applied to the South-South where kidnapping and militancy had been rampant.

    Only University of Benin was chosen as one of the first choices in the South-South.

    The breakdown of the preferred top 10 universities is as follows: UNILORIN(107, 610); Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (77,410); University of Benin(76,695); UNN, Nsukka (69, 576); UNILAG (61,600); OAU, Ile-Ife (59,614); ABU Zaria (48,835); Imo State University(45, 577); UNIJOS(42,693) and University of Ibadan(41,801).

    In the JAMB document, which had been made available to all universities, four candidates apply for admission to Umar Ibn El-Kanemi College of Education (affiliated to University in Maiduguri) in Bama which is a stronghold of the Boko Haram sect.

    The grim picture of the first choice preference in the North-East is as follows: Federal College of Education, Gombe(affiliated to UNIMAID)—(8); Federal College of Education(Technical), Potiskum(affiliated to FUT Minna) (6); Federal University, Gashua in Yobe State(367); Federal University, Kashere in Gombe State(4,440); Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State(10,360); Gombe State University, Tundun Wada(9,881); University of Maiduguri(17,802); Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi(10,895); Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola(8,092). Adamawa State University, Mubi (2,638).

    The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde on April 17 said 1,015, 504 applied for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

    Out of the candidates, 990,179 applied for the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) while 25,325 applied for the Dual Based Test (DBT).

    The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde said 1,606,753 candidates applied for the 2014 UTME

    Out of the candidates, 990,179 applied for the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) while 25,325 applied for the Dual Based Test (DBT).

    About 616,574 candidates registered for the e-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (e-UTME), the Computer Based Test (CBT) to be conducted across 163 centres and seven foreign countries on May 17.

  • A week of fun

    A week of fun

    The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Students’ Union Government (SUG) has held its annual Students’ Week, reports HAMEED MURITALA (400-Level Mass Communication).

    They wore different uniform with bags strapped to their backs. They assembled on an open space. Then, the ‘principal’, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof Samuel Olorundare, took the podium to address the ‘pupils’. After the talk, the assembly dispersed and the ‘pupils’ sang back to their classrooms.

    But this was not a secondary school. All this happened last week at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) when the Students’ Union Government (SUG) held its Week tagged: Have fun while you study.

    The campus erupted in excitement at the sight of students dressed in secondary school uniforms. There was a comic touch to the event when some students appeared in funny old school attires.

    The event with the theme: I am young; I am the future, was declared open by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, in the university auditorium. The VC said youths of today would only be leaders of tomorrow if they are knowledgeable, adding that youths must read to understand the future in which they want to be leaders.

    Prof Ambali, represented by his deputy for academics, Prof Bayo Lawal, pointed out that youths were the foundation of the country’s future, noting that an illiterate youth population could not lead in the modern world.

    “If you are not a reader, you cannot be a leader. If you are not a reader, you are not the future. The first person you must lead is yourself. When you lead yourself successfully, you will be able to lead others properly,” the VC said.

    Prof. Ambali encouraged the students to develop the two “Cs” of leadership, which he called competence and character. Explaining that competence would always lead to better capacity and capability, the VC said character gives rise to confidence.

    He told students to strive to be the best in their field, urging them not to rest on their oars but to improve on their weaknesses. He said acquiring knowledge was the only way they could rise to become future leaders.

    The sub-Dean, Students’ Affairs Unit, Dr Abdulraheem Yusuf, urged the undergraduates to aim for success in all their endeavours. He told them not to think of failure, noting that students of the institution pride themselves as future leaders because of the stable academic calendar and quality teaching they get.

    He said: “No matter how bad things may go, your focus must be to attain success, strength, victory and belief. No one will tell you who and what you can be; no one will tell you what you can or cannot be; belief will change your world and the country. History will remember you for this.”

    The SUG president, Ahmed Lawal, said the event was organisedto improve social life on campus and to promote peace and unity among students.

    Ahmed said: “We want to promote unity in diversity through the exhibition of culture of the our various ethnic groups.”

    The Week also featured activities, such as games, cooking and eating competition. The event ended with a musical show where May D, a popular hip-hop artiste, thrilled the students in the university stadium.

    The eating contest was won by a 400-Level female Microbiology student, who ate 10 wraps of fufu(cassava flower) within four minutes. She was given a cash prize of N10, 000; the runner up, also a female student got N5, 000.

  • NLNG gets 124 entries for 2014 literature prize

    NLNG gets 124 entries for 2014 literature prize

    The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has received 124 entries for this year’s edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature.

    The prize is the company’s flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative and Africa’s most prestigious literary prize.

    Five entries were also received for the award for literary criticism, introduced in 2012.

    The entries were handed over through the Advisory Board for Literature to the panel of judges chaired by Charity Angya, a professor of Theatre and Drama at the Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, Benue State.

    Other members of the panel are: Prof. Ahmed Yerima, a playwright and past winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, 2006 edition and Prof; Nasiru Akanji, a well respected scholar and professor of Performing Arts, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

    Also on the panel is Prof. Sirayi, a playwright and Dean, Faculty of the Arts, at Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa. He will serve as an international consultant.

    The Nigeria Prize for Literature is awarded yearly and alternates amongst four literary genres: prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. This year is for drama.

    For the award for literary criticism, which has not been awarded since it was introduced, special consideration will be given to critical essays on the works of the new generation of Nigerian writers. Entries for the award must have been published in a reputable international literary journal.

    The Nigeria Prize for Literature, now in its 11th year, is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited to reward excellence and celebrate works of outstanding merit in literature.

  • ‘Leadership is by wisdom’

    ‘Leadership is by wisdom’

    Ahmed Lawal, a 400-Level student of Science Education, was sworn in last July as the president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) in Kwara State.  He shares his thoughts on leadership with TOYIN ALI (200-Level Law).

    What have you achieved since assuming office?

    We were sworn in last July and since then, we have embarked on many projects among which are the procurement of more campus shuttles to ease transportation challenge. We established a registered health foundation to raise fund for indigent students. We have also conceptualised an initiative called “starter pack”, which is a customised package for freshers. There are still more to come.

    You are said to be youngest Students’ Union president; are you surprised?

    This is quite inexplicable. But I would attribute this feat to God. People generally believe that to achieve certain things, you have to attain certain age. But this is African mentality. Leadership should not be by age; it is by wisdom. Elsewhere, there are many young people in power and they are performing excellently well. If such idea could be embraced in Nigeria, we would be better for it.

    How do you relate with the school management?

    I would say that the Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali-led management is a listening and supportive one. The union enjoys the support of the management, which enhances a healthy relationship between the management and the students. The Students’ Union leaders are carried along in decision that has to do with the welfare of students.

    The Ipad initiative for freshers is yet to take off, what is the union doing about it?

    This has been a subject of controversy among the freshers, particularly the unusual hike in their school fees. The management has, through its policy drive, incorporated this project to enhance academic excellence. This was done by placing discount on these tablets’ price. It is pertinent to note that the hike in the freshers’ school fees has a direct link with the proposed Ipad initiative. On whether students would get the Ipad, I can assure you that the gadgets would be distributed very soon.

    How does the union seek to sustain the improved transport system on campus?

    It is no news again that queues have disappeared on the campus. This is the result of our administration’s move to ensure convenience for students on campus. We have procured more than 70 tricycles and mini buses to ease transportation problem. We are also aware that such initiative needs to be sustained. This is the reason for the little increment in transport fare within and outside the campus.

    What is the drive of your leadership?

    The zeal to champion the course of students’ welfarism is the wheel that drives me around. Remember this is an administrative calling where everything must be invested to achieve the best result. Though, there are many challenges one faces, but with the burning spirit and available resources, one will get there. All thanks to my fellow students, who have afforded me this worthy opportunity to serve them, and the management for its unflinching support.

    What is your advice for students?

    We should all be good ambassadors of the university wherever we may find ourselves. We must not allow our extracurricular activities to override our primary assignment on campus. As we all know, the university awards degree to only those who are found worthy of learning and character.