The Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Issa Aremu, has commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for prioritising education under the “Renewed Hope” agenda.
He applauded the unprecedented improvements in funding and the establishment of a student loan scheme (NELFUND) benefiting over 900,000 students across the country.
Comrade Aremu spoke in Ilorin on Thursday at the 3rd matriculation ceremony of 19 newly admitted students for the Bachelor’s Degree in Employment Relations and Human Resources Management, offered by MINILS in affiliation with the University of Ilorin.
He praised President Tinubu for appointing Taiwo Oyedele as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, noting that the former Chair of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms has the “singular responsibility of matching record-high budgetary allocations with prompt and adequate budget releases, which his predecessors failed to achieve.”
According to Aremu, the matriculation marked “a significant milestone in the academic journey of our newly admitted students and a defining moment in the continued growth of this great Institute. Matriculation symbolises students’ acceptance into a system built on discipline, excellence, integrity, and the pursuit of knowledge.”
He observed that MINILS, established in 1983 with a unique mandate for workers’ education, has trained hundreds of thousands of Nigerian workers, evolving into a globally recognised centre of excellence in labour education.
“In 2013, MINILS pioneered the National Diploma in Industrial and Labour Relations as part of its strategic effort to diversify and expand labour education services to our social partners,” Aremu said.
He added that this initiative laid a strong foundation for professional training in labour relations in Nigeria, and building on this success, the Institute further expanded its academic portfolio in 2019 with the commencement of the Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, in affiliation with the University of Ilorin.
Aremu also said the milestone “represents a significant leap forward, further strengthening the position of the Institute among its peers and enhancing the delivery of labour education suitable for the new world of work.”
He further disclosed that, in line with President Tinubu’s vision of renewed hope for Nigerians in human capital formation, MINILS had commenced a Postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance and Counselling aimed at strengthening labour market efficiency and curtailing unemployment in Nigeria.
He charged the matriculating students to justify the confidence reposed in them “by demonstrating excellence in both character and learning.”
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, congratulated the students on the opportunity to study the programme. He emphasised the importance of matriculation and urged students to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of knowledge.
Prof. Egbewole commended MINILS for their commitment in running the programme, noting that this was the third matriculation ceremony.
He expressed confidence that the number of undergraduates would continue to grow with dedication and excellence, and pledged UNILORIN’s ongoing support in partnering with MINILS to produce brilliant minds for the labour market and national development.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the programme and Director of Academic and Distance Learning Programmes, Dr Sylvanus Adamade, explained that the programme commenced in 2019 and had secured full accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) for five years.
“In 2024, our pioneer set of 20 students graduated and are currently serving the nation through the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), contributing to national development across Nigeria,” he said.
Dr Adamade added that the final-year results of the second cohort are presently being processed following the successful conduct of their degree examinations in November 2025.
He noted: “The collaboration between MINILS and UNILORIN in awarding this Bachelor’s degree holds great promise for nurturing future labour leaders. The curriculum is designed to equip trade union leaders and workers with the theoretical and conceptual tools needed to navigate the complexities of the contemporary world of work.”