The University of Ilorin is set to celebrate a remarkable achievement as 256 students are poised to graduate with first-class honors at the upcoming convocation ceremony. This accomplishment is part of a larger total of 12,042 students who will be graduating across various faculties, including the prestigious colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, the graduating class of 2024 has demonstrated exceptional academic excellence, with 256 students achieving the highest honor of first-class degrees. Additionally, 3,842 students will receive second-class upper division degrees, 6,178 will receive second-class lower division degrees, 1,299 will receive third-class degrees, and 62 will receive pass degrees.
The convocation ceremony will also witness the graduation of 124 medical students, 64 nursing students, 35 optometry students, 30 veterinary medicine students, and 18 students with distinction in various fields. Furthermore, the university will award 1,875 higher degrees, comprising 92 postgraduate diplomas, 1,280 master’s degrees, 179 professional master’s degrees, 1 MPhil, and 323 PhDs.
Prof. Egbewole emphasized the university’s commitment to excellence, stating that its goal of becoming a leading institution in Nigeria is well underway. He highlighted several advancements, including the introduction of a scalable Enterprise Resource Portal, a digital admissions ranking system, and an automated student union election system.
The university has also made significant strides in research, with the revival of the N200m Senate Research Grant and the development of 20 patents and innovations. Its LABTOP Centre has received recognition at the Inaugural Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices awards in Nigeria.
Moreover, the university is expanding its international collaborations in various fields, including veterinary research, plant breeding, and stem cell research. It has also partnered with Broad Grains Limited on mechanized farming training and Oriental Energy Farms to cultivate 4,000 hectares for maize and soybean production. A notable international collaboration is with Prof. Ramar Krishnamurthy from Uka Tarsadia University, India, who is working with the university to develop a drought-resistant rice variety expected to be produced commercially soon.
