By Kayode Abdulazeez, Ilorin
The Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin Prof. Wahab Egbewole has reiterated the commitment to creat 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 creat enabling environment for our students to learn, for our staffs to ply their trade and for the University to achieve its smart agenda.
It would be recalled that the Vice Chancellor Prof Egbewole 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 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 achievements recorded in the University which include infrastructural development, student 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, and 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 since our last meeting and now, I’m pleased to inform you that the University of Ilorin has produced another Minister in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the person of Doctor Jamila Bio. Minister of Youth and Development, We also had the Chief Executive of the National Sugar Development Council, the person of Mr Kamal Barike, also had pleasure of the controller general of the Nigeria immigration service Kemi Nada another addition, and of course senior special assistant to the president on Social event Princes Atiga Ajanan,” he said.
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 also commended unions in the University on the role played in the NASU and SSANU strike.
“In regards to NASU and SSANU strike I have said it over and over our Unions in the University of Ilorin are responsible unionist 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 the general staff for their responsible behaviour. They obeyed and I want to say with all sense of responsibility that the unions obey their leaders at the national and went on strike but because of our understanding in the University, the union that were not on strike assisted in creating a seamless process,” he said.
“I’m pleased to tell you that the University of Ilorin is the most outstanding University in Nigeria today” he added.
