LIKE an acorn planted 50 years ago, the University of Ilorin has now blossomed into a full-grown oak, becoming the flagship of Nigeria’s university system, shattering the records of most of its precursors and setting new standards of academic excellence, cutting-edge research endeavours, and scintillating community service.

Not only has the University been consistently rated the nation’s Number one citadel of learning by several world-acclaimed higher institution ranking agencies, it has, since the 2013/2014 academic session, been the most sought-after institution by admission seekers, according to records released yearly by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Established by the Federal Government in August 1975, the University of Ilorin is one of the seven second generation universities in the country.Others in the second-generation league are, the University of Jos, the University of Port Harcourt, the University of Calabar, Ado Bayero University, Kano, the University of Maiduguri, and the University of Sokoto, UNILORIN took off in October 1975 as a University College, affiliated to the University of Ibadan with the late Professor Tekena Tamuno as its pioneer Head. Designated as Principal, Professor Tamuno was succeeded, in December 1975 Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe. When the University College became a full-fledged University in October 1977, Professor Akinkugbebecame its first Vice-Chancellor and he held that position until October 1978.

Other Vice-Chancellors who have administered the University were: Professor A.O. Adesola, 1978 -1981; Professor S.A. Toye, 1981 – 1985; Professor A. Adeniyi, 1985 –1992; Professor J. O. Oyinloye, 1992 -1997; Professor S.O. AbdulRaheem, 1997 – 2002; Professor S.O.O. Amali, 2002 – 2007; Professor Is-Haq O. Oloyede, CON, 2007 – 2012; Professor AbdulGaniyu Ambali, OON, 2012 – 2017; Professor Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, 2017 – 2022; and the incumbent, Professor Wahab OlasupoEgbewole, SAN.

At inception, the University started with three Faculties (Arts, Education and Science). Now, it is a 16-Faculty citadel of learning. In addition to the three foundation Faculties, the University now has the following Faculties: Basic Medical Sciences, Basic Clinical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Social Sciences, Management Sciences, Agriculture, Law, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Communication and Information Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. And between the 16 Faculties, the University now has a total of 108 academic Departments.

There are presently about 50, 000 students while the University’s staff strength is 3, 476. Since the 2013/2014 academic session consecutively, the University of Ilorin has maintained a reputation of being the most sought-after University by admission seekers. Many factors are responsible for this feat. These include the good name the University has made for itself, the high quality of its graduates, its tradition of maintaining stable academic calendar, high moral standard of its students and graduates coupled with academic excellence and its beautiful and serene environment.

The University attracts both academic and non-teaching staff from virtually every part of Nigeria probably because of its central geographical location and the deliberate efforts of its successive Administrations in attracting its workforce. Its Centre for International Education (CIE) plays a crucial role in attracting international staff and students in a deliberate and sustained effort at internationalisation.

In pursuit of its vision to be “an international centre of excellence in learning, research, probity and service to humanity”, the University of Ilorin has contributed in several ways to the socio-economic and political development of the country. Not only has it produced high level manpower for the various sectors of the nation’s economy since its establishment 50 years ago, the better by far citadel has also produced several graduates who have been active participants in the country’s political space. Through an excellent Town and Gown relationship, the University has also advanced the overall development of its host community in particular and the nation in general.

The modest efforts of the University on internationalisation have yielded many gains, which include placing the University on the global map of higher institutions of repute, affording the University the opportunity to partner many reputable universities all over the world, affording the University access to facilities that are not available within the country, promoting internationalization within the campus thereby exposing staff and students to international opportunities such as American Council for Learned Society (ACLS), and Fulbright Fellowship, participating in the programmes of international organizations of which the University is a member, such as the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Association of West African Universities (AWAU).

At the University of Ilorin, student unionism is a tool for progressive transformation of the lives and status of the generality of the institution’s student populace.The sort of synergy that exists between the student body and the University administration is such that engenders mutual trust in a no-hold barred atmosphere of openness. The prevailing harmony at the University of Ilorin is not as a result of lack of conflicts between the students’ body and the University management but it is a function of the deployment of effective mechanisms for prompt resolution of sprouting conflicts.
The University of Ilorin has become a fertile stable for head-hunters looking for best brains to poach either to pioneer the establishment of new universities or to assist in consolidating on the achievements of existing citadels or even to help in retrieving flailing institutions from a certain abyss of decline in fortunes into which they might have been pushed by past administrative inadequacies.
At the University of Ilorin, the process of request and issuance of academic transcripts to former students has been entirely digitised to promote efficient service delivery with the institutionalisation of online application for transcripts as against the old manual application.

In fulfilment of one leg of its tripodal mandates, the University of Ilorin is a veritable research hub where impactful, life-changing and national development-targeted researches are regularly churned out. Successive administrations of the University made the pursuit of excellence in research endeavours one of their cardinal priorities. And this commitment had handsomely paid off as many of the University’s researchers have secured official patents for some of their research outputs. The University currently has 36 patents with the National Office of Technology Acquisition and Promotion.

The culture of conscientious leadership and supportive followership is so contagious at the University of Ilorin that sundry staff unions have invariably become partners in progress with the management.
Professor Egbewole, who is the University’s 11th Vice Chancellor, has not only sustained the legacy of excellence bequeathed to him by his predecessors, he has also greatly improved on it since coming on board on 17th October 2022. The lynchpin of his administration’s programme is the Vision 1 – 10 – 500, through which he hopes to make the University of Ilorin the best in Nigeria, one of the best 10 in Africa and one of the 500 top-notch universities in the world.

The three-year old Administration of Prof. Egbewole has recorded several landmark achievements in all spheres of the University’s core mandates of teaching, research, and community service.
Other areas in which the impact of this astute administrator has been felt are his humanistic approach to staff welfare, reinvention of the University’s administrative superstructure, academic excellence and research breakthroughs, stellar students’ performances in national and international outings, massive infrastructural development, collaboration and partnerships, rigorous internationalisation drive, as well as establishment, reinvention and revitalisation of academic centres to bolster the University’s commitment to academic excellence and national development in general.

Prof Egbewole has returned Unilorin to global University convergence, driving its global visibility by reigniting its strategic membership commitment in the Association of West Africa Universities (AWAU), where he was elected as the Secretary General in 2023; the Consortium of Universities U6+, whose formation he spearheaded in 2023;the Association of African Universities (AAU), where the Vice-Chancellor was elected the Vice-President (Western Africa) in 2025; the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), and International Association of Universities (IAU).
Armed with his well thought-out and vigorously pursued ‘Vision 1: 10: 500’, Prof. Egbewole has steered the institution through a period of dynamic growth, academic innovation, and global engagement. His tenure has been marked by a commitment to excellence, transparency, and the university’s enduring motto: Probitas Doctrina — Learning and Character.

Fondly called ‘Mr Efficiency’ by his colleagues and associates, the Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law has launched a silent revolution that is steadily propelling the University to the topmost rank among its peers in Nigeria.
• Akogun is the Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin