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Tag: UNILORIN

  • UNILORIN wins LEAP Africa debate

    UNILORIN wins LEAP Africa debate

    LEAP Africa’s Youth Leadership Debate 2.0 has been held at the Platform Nigeria for the second consecutive time.

    LEAP Africa is one of Africa’s foremost non-profit organisations focused on youth leadership development.

    The Youth Leadership Debates, which began in 2022, is a pillar of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), an initiative of LEAP Africa. It is a platform for young Nigerians in tertiary institutions across the nation to lend their voices to topical issues that affect Nigeria through the art of debates.

    Participants were taken through courses on self-leadership, active citizenship, sustainability and advocacy. At the end of the learning process, 32 teams from 19 tertiary institutions in Nigeria qualified for the debates. After two virtual elimination rounds, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, University of Ilorin and University of Ibadan made it to the grand finale at the Platform Nigeria.

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    The finalists were tasked with debating the topic, “Nigeria’s Long Standing Position as the Giant of Africa is no longer tenable”. The University of Ilorin emerged winners and went home with a cash prize of N2.5million; University of Ibadan placed second and received N1.5million,while the third place winners, the University of Lagos, went home with a cash prize of N1million.

    Speaking about the debates and the role of youths in birthing the Nigeria we want, LEAP Africa’s Executive Director, Kehinde Ayeni, said: “Youth voices and youth-led actions are very critical to nation building and this is one of the key propellers of our efforts to activate youth voices across Nigeria. Young people should not be silenced, however, they should be guided on how to leverage their voices and the right channels for advocacy that will lead to sustainable change.”

    Also speaking on the importance of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund initiative, the Project Lead for NYFF at LEAP Africa, Ikenna Ogbudimkpa, said: “The Nigeria Youth Futures Fund initiative was launched as a catalyst for youth voices and to amplify the efforts of young Nigerians towards the Nigeria We Want. It has become apparent that the Nigerian youth are ready to advocate for the change they desire in Nigeria and the brilliant arguments of the debaters in this season are proof of that.”

    The Youth Leadership Debates 2.0 was organised through strategic partnerships with organisations and institutions like MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Future Work Africa, Lagos State University (LASU), LASU Student Union (LASUSU), LASU FM and LASU Sustainable Development Goals Centre and Club (LASUSDG), University of Lagos Radio Station (UNILAG FM) and the Platform Nigeria.

  • UNILORIN is Africa’s youth trade debate champion

    UNILORIN is Africa’s youth trade debate champion

    The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has won the maiden edition of the Africa Youth Trade Debate organised by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

    The management of the institution, which announced this in a bulletin issued yesterday, said the contest took place in Lusaka, the Zambian capital.

     It said the UNILORIN debate team, which won the contest, was invited on an all-expense paid trip to Lusaka for the competition’s grand finale.

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     The university explained that the event was part of AfCTA’s symposium held between August 21 and 23, 2023.

     “The University of Ilorin team slugged it out with that of Kwame Nkrumah University, Zambia, in a keenly contested battle of ideas that attracted dignitaries from all over Zambia and beyond.

     “At the end of it all, the University of Ilorin team was announced the overall champion in Africa,” it said.

     The publication stated that the UNILORIN team comprised Miss Esther Olayinka of the Faculty of Agriculture, Mr. Tolulope Olafisoye of the Faculty of Law and Peace John-Kalio, also of the Faculty of Law.

    “Other members of the victorious team are: Mr. Ayodele Samuel of the Faculty of Engineering and Mr. Victor Owolabi of the Faculty of Education.

     “Aside the giant trophy won by the team, a member of the University of Ilorin’s contingent, Olafisoye Tolulope, also clinched another trophy as the Overall Best Speaker at the tournament,” it said.

     Reacting to the development, the UNILORIN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), saluted the team, saying it made the institution proud.

     In a statement in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, by the university’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, the vice chancellor congratulated members of the team for their exceptionally brilliant performance.

     He noted that the team’s performance again confirmed the quality of service delivery available at the university, which he said made it the nation’s most sought-after higher institution.

     Egbewole urged other students to emulate members of the debating team by always offering their best in every situation.

     He assured them of the university’s support at all times.

  • UNILORIN wins N120m equipment grant

    The Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has attracted N120 million worth of seeding laboratory equipment from a US-based non-governmental organisation.

    Secretary of the Seeding Labs Grant Committee, Dr. O. Atolani of the Department of Chemistry, said the equipment include a Mass Spectrometer, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), consumables and some others.

    He said it would improve the quality of research output from the university.

    “The equipment will improve the department’s research productivity while enhancing the training of both our undergraduate and postgraduate students,” he said.

    Principal Investigator, Prof. E.O. Odebunmi, said the department won the grant based on two research proposals on Cancer and Cosmeceuticals it submitted to the organisation, Seeding Labs, which helps scientists make discoveries that improve life and the planet. The grant was funded under Seeding Labs’ instrumental access programme, which is focused on removing barriers to research and science teaching by making laboratory equipment available to universities in low and middle-income countries.

    Atolani said the university was inspired to apply for the grant when it learnt that a private university, Redeemer’s University, got the grant.

    However, he said the department’s first application for the grant in 2016 was unsuccessful.

    The lessons learnt from the attempt, as well as the support from the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, Dean and others helped the team get the grant this time around.

    “The first trial was a lost out but lessons and experiences were gathered. We then reapplied in the 2017/2018 session. Adjustment of the previous application was improved and looked into,” he said.

    Atolani, a Medical Chemist, said the equipment had already arrived the Lagos Sea Port.

    With the equipment, he said researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students would no longer need to send their samples outside for analysis at a great cost.

  • Welcome end to Unilorin ASUU crisis

    Accord Concordia! That’s how the flamboyant Second Republic politician, the bombastic K. O. Mbadiwe, of blessed memory, would have described Wednesday, July 3, 2019’s landmark move towards resolving the almost 20- year-old feud between the University of Ilorin Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Union’s national body. Following series of fruitful consultations between ASUU Unilorin Chapter, led by Dr. Usman Adebimpe Raheem and the erstwhile splinter group of the Union in the University, an agreement was reached to bring an end to the crisis and fashion out a way of bringing all academic staff of the University back under the same union moving forward.

    Everybody knew that the entente would eventually come, as no situation lasts forever. What nobody, however, knew is how soon it would come! But that it has finally come is a welcome development and a great pointer to greater things to come.

    The feud, which started in 2001 as a result of internal disagreement between members of the local Union and its then executive council, culminated in the suspension of Unilorin ASUU by the national body, which sided with the latter. Laced with series of litigations and other belligerent tendencies, the long drawn dispute led to the complete ostracisation of not only the local ASUU EXCO but also the entire university by the national body of the union, which accused the university management of supporting the local chapter. Things got to a head when, in January 2017, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union imposed sweeping sanctions on the university in a move aimed at crippling its teaching, research and community service activities. The sanctions sought to further ostracize the university from the mainstream of the nation’s academic community. According to the ASUU NEC, “for the duration of the sanctions, academic staff of the University of Ilorin will no longer enjoy the cooperation, collaboration or participation of academics of other. Nigerian public universities in sundry areas of academic and related activities”. These include teaching, research and supervision of students; setting, moderating or assessment of examinations; external assessment for professorial cadre appointments or promotions; sabbatical, visiting, part-time and adjunct appointments; accreditation of institutions, colleges, programmes and courses; collaborative research; attendance of learned conferences, society workshops, seminars and other related activities; peer review of journal articles and patronage of journals and so forth.

    To be sure, the almost two decades long feud has never been in the overall interest of the nation’s educational system, which required the concerted efforts of all stakeholders to pull out from the abyss into which it has sunk over the years. Even though the University of Ilorin has resolutely soldiered on, in the face of the crippling sanctions, to make substantial contributions to the nation’s educational development, becoming in the process the toast of admission seekers and attracting the commendations of policy makers, the resolution of the feud would no doubt bring additional developmental strides.

    There is no doubt that the crisis dragged on for so long due partly to the countless litigations employed by both sides. As it is often said, “jaw-jaw” is better and more rewarding than “war-war”. That is why many peace loving mediators in the crisis had consistently dissuaded both parties from the path of needless litigations because rather than resolving crisis of this nature, judicial verdicts in many cases, no matter the side the pendulum swings, have the tendency to exacerbate some disputes

    This is why we feel highly elated at the turn of events. We commend all those that were instrumental to the peaceful resolution of this crisis, especially the incumbent Vice-Chancellor of the better by far University, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, whose series of mediatory roles, since his assumption of office, have proved him to be a veritable pacifist. The efforts and sacrifices of the Chairman of the Unilorin Chapter of ASUU, Comrade Dr, Usman Raheem, towards the resolution of the crisis, are also worthy of commendation. So are the untiring mediations of the Unilorin ASUU elders committee as well as all former leaders of the Union. Also worthy of commendation is the leader of the delegation from the national headquarters of the union, Dr. Ben Ugheoke, who brokered the peace talks that culminated into last Wednesday’s watershed agreement.

    •Akogun is the Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin

  • Unilorin wins zonal mathematics award

    The University of Ilorin Chapter of the National Association of Mathematical Science Students of Nigeria (NAMSSN), has emerged over-all winner at the just concluded North Central Zone Mathematics Quiz Competition.

    The competition was recently held at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger.

    According to the University of Ilorin Bulletin issued on Monday, the annual NAMSSN, conference, which took place in April, had participants from six states of the zone, and the Federal Capital Territory.

    The publication said that the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences, Prof. Folahan Adekola, who received the award on behalf of Unilorin congratulated the representatives.

    “The University management is pleased with the thrilling academic performance of the students at the tournament.

    “We are not surprised that the Mathematics Department won the trophy at the North Central Quiz Competition, because the Department has always been producing First Class student’s year in year out,” he said.

    Adekola noted that the competition was not  the first time the department won medals for the University.

    “Our hope and prayer is that the department will come first in the entire country and become the best Mathematics Department in Nigeria”.

    The Head of the Department, Prof. Raphael Adeniyi, also commended the students of the department for recording such a feat during his tenure.

    “This department has on an annual basis, been producing high rated quality students in terms of academic, even extracurricular activities, “he said.

    The President of NAMSSN, Ajetunmobi Afeez, thanked God for giving them the opportunity to be good ambassadors of the University at the competition.

    Afeez was also the leader of the 10 participants that represented the University of Ilorin at the tournament.

    NAN

  • Unilorin mourns Pius Adesanmi, distinguished alumnus

    The management of the University of Ilorin has described the death of Prof. Pius Adesanmi as a colossal loss to the country and humanity in general.

    Adesanmi taught at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, before his death in a plane crash on Sunday, March 10, 2019, at a relatively young age of 47 years.

    In a moving tribute, the vice-chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, described the late professor of Literature and African Studies, who graduated from the University of Ilorin in 1992 with a first class honours degree in French, as “a true nationalist, a rare patriot, a humanist and indeed an embodiment of all the ideals that Unilorin represents.”

    The vice-chancellor, in a press statement signed on his behalf by the university’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, lamented Adesanmi’s death at a time when the nation needs his robust, intellectual and incisive contribution to her development most.

    He said that the country had benefitted immensely from the late professor’s dispassionate interventions through well-researched social commentaries on national issues at critical points of its socio-political and economic development.

    “Being a committed nationalist, the late Prof. Adesanmi was never happy at the state of rot in critical sectors of the nation, and he never kept quiet nor indulged in complacency, as many of his colleagues who had found comfortable solace abroad are wont to,” Abdulkareem said, noting that even less than 24 hours before his sad demise, the patriotic zeal in the late social critic was evident on his twitter handle where he was still discussing the then ongoing governorship and states’ houses of assembly elections in the country.

     

  • Unilorin arrests three suspected miscreants

    The University of Ilorin ( UNILORIN )  says its security operatives have arrested three suspected miscreants who have been terrorising the university community for some time now.

    According to the University of Ilorin Bulletin issued on Monday, the arrest was made on Feb. 22 after the University Security Patrol Team raided the hoodlums while operating in one of the lecture rooms of the university.

    The publication stated the miscreants had since been handed over to the police.

    Reacting to the development, the Sub-Dean, Student Affairs, Dr Alex Akanmu, said that the University community has been witnessing cases of robbery by miscreants for some weeks now.

    “The miscreants have been coming through the back route of the University, especially at night, to attack students reading in the classrooms with the aim of stealing their belongings like phones, laptops and other valuables.

    “The culprits were caught by the university security patrol team, stealing students’ property, barging into their lecture rooms with cutlasses to frighten them during their night classes.”

    Akanmu assured the students of adequate security, adding that the gang members had been handed over to the police and that all the stolen property of the students had been recovered and returned the owners.

    He praised the university’s efforts in improving security measures to ensure that lives and properties of members of the university community were adequately protected.

    Akanmu said that measures were in place, such as the Off-Campus Hostel Management System (OHMS), which made it possible for students staying off campus to call the Student Affairs Unit or Security Office in case of any emergency and regular patrol by the university security operatives.

    He advised students living off-campus to always report any harassment to the Student Affairs Unit.

    Akanmu advised the university community members to be vigilant and should not hesitate to provide vital information that would assist the unit and the security personnel in ensuring that the university community was well protected.

    “Let me remind students to be vigilant, be their brothers’ keepers and shouldn’t hesitate in providing relevant information that will expose the evil ones among them.”

  • UNILORIN trains students on cosmetics production

    The Technical and Entrepreneurship Centre (TEC) of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State, has held a workshop for students of the university on how to make cosmetics and personal health products.

    The Resource person, Mr. Abdul Ganiyu Abiodun of the Low Cost Investment, Ibadan, urged participants to do their best to become independent.

    He explained that he never worked for anyone since he graduated as an Industrial Chemist more than a decade ago.

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    Abiodun said to survive in the business, it was important to produce quality products and maintain the standard.He said packaging of products attracted customers to new producers in the market “but that lasts only in the short run’’.

    Abiodun demonstrated how to make items, such as after-shave, hair cream, candle, disinfectants, body cream and spirit.

    TEC Director, Dr. Jamiu Odusote, urged the students to take full advantage of the workshop. He also urged them to approach the centre if they encounter any challenge in the course of getting raw materials.

    According to him, this was part of the university’s drive towards graduating employers rather than job seekers.

     

  • Unilorin VC decries rate of drug abuse among youths

    Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, on Monday in Ilorin lamented the rising cases of drug abuse among youths in the country.

    Abdulkareem made this known at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Dawa Holiday Programme jointly organised by some Muslim organisations known as The Companion, The Criterion and The Dawn for selected Muslim youths from five states of the federation.

    He said that as parents and guardians, it was incumbent on them to inculcate in their wards character in upbringing

    “Character is the first thing we have to work upon, but unfortunately we have totally neglected it. Now, we are having another menace in the society.

    “Our children are on drugs. I can’t even smoke a cigarette talk less of drinking wine or getting intoxicated. But Muslim youths are getting into that now.

    “And I believe it is because our mothers and our parents are not working on them hard enough,” he said.

    “Character is what eventually makes a human being and attitude is your character.’’

    The vice-chancellor appealed to mothers to work harder in the training and upbringing of their children.

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    Abdulkareem urged Muslim youths to use the Quran as their guide and allow it to reflect in their character.

    Earlier, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Bilkisu Oniyangi, described the programme as part of the extra-curricular activities required to stimulate the social wellbeing of the youth.

    Oniyangi advised against drug abuse while appealing to the youths who attended the programme to be good ambassadors by relaying the theme and messages of the campaign to other youths on good character.

    National Amir of The Dawn, Nurein Balogun, said that the camping programme was designed as a platform to mentor and unite Muslim youths.

  • UNILORIN attributes student’s death to drug use

    The management of the University of Ilorin has attributed the death of one of its students, Adigun Emmanuel Adewale, to drug use.

    The late student of the Faculty of Agriculture reportedly committed suicide last week to vent his frustration over his failure in his final year project.

    In a statement, the university’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, said that painstaking investigations revealed that the late Mr. Adigun took his own life as an eventual culmination of his pathetic drug addiction, adding that he unwisely adopted the action to address the prolonged depression he suffered as a result of personal challenges he could not bear.

    The statement said that “some close friends of the late Mr. Adigun revealed that the obviously depressed student had unsuccessfully attempted suicide thrice, having publicly expressed profound regret on many occasions that it was his ‘nagging younger sister’ that was sponsoring his education.

    “He was further reported to have lamented that it would be too difficult for him to approach the same younger female sibling for the needed finances to complete his extended stay on campus as a result of his failure in several core courses.”

    The University added that contrary to the speculations that the deceased, with a CGP of 2.72 and failed results in seven different courses, which accounted for his non-graduation in the last academic session, could neither be said to be academically outstanding nor on the verge of completing any research project.

    The university made it clear that the late Mr. Adigun, who hailed from Oyo State, never completed the series of enabling experiments that would have given him the data needed for his research and that he took his life while he was expected to complete registration formalities, a prerequisite for his retake of all the courses he had earlier failed.

    The statement added that when a senior academic staff of the deceased’s Department of Agronomy got wind of the late Mr. Adigun’s psychological problem through their interactions, she offered series of assistance to him to avert the regrettable consequence.

    It was added that his alleged drug addiction, courtesy of peer group influence, frustrated all the rehabilitative assistances that were rendered to him to the awareness, admiration and appreciation of his family members.

    The university said that some of the measures taken by the management and good-spirited members of staff to soothe the nerves of the deceased included a four-week intensive rehabilitation at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, courtesy of the Professor who also adopted him as her mentee; the facilitation of hostel accommodation for him on campus through the recommendation of the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Gbadebo Olaoye; and a soft loan granted him by the same mentor, even while she (the mentor) was in far-away Nairobi, Kenya, some days to the incident, to settle his school fees.

    Akogun added that despite all these rehabilitative efforts to place the deceased in the right frame of mind, he still resorted to the despicable act of suicide to the consternation of all those who assisted him one way or the other.

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    The university insisted that there is no iota of truth in the media reports that the suicide had anything to do with the deceased’s academic challenges at the University of Ilorin, adding that it is a “manifested testimony” of the increasing danger of drug addiction and peer pressure as it was reliably gathered that a son of his landlady, who was also his friend, schooling in a sister tertiary institution in Ilorin, also terminated his own life in similar circumstance not quite long ago.

    While the University commiserated with the late Mr. Adigun’s family over the unfortunate incident, it appealed to parents, relations and guardians to be up and doing in their responsibilities to their children and wards so that they (the children) would grow up to live a decent life.

    The university assured stakeholders of its commitment to the provision of qualitative education and other forms of services to its students.