The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) will graduate 16,152 students at its 41st convocation ceremony.
Out of these numbers, 365 earned first-class honours in the 2025/2026 academic session.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, disclosed this during a press briefing at the university auditorium in Ilorin, Kwara State, ahead of the ceremonies scheduled to end on October 25.
Egbewole said 11,213 students would receive first degrees, while 4,939 others would be awarded higher degrees and diplomas.
Giving a breakdown of the first-degree results, he said 4,367 graduands obtained second-class upper division, 5,102 earned second-class lower division, 1,006 graduated with third-class degrees, while 30 obtained pass degrees.
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The graduating class also includes 19 medical graduates, 89 nursing graduates, 73 pharmacy graduates, 41 optometry graduates, 89 physiotherapy graduates and 32 veterinary medicine graduates.
On postgraduate qualifications, the vice-chancellor listed 160 postgraduate diplomas, 901 master’s degrees, 114 professional master’s degrees, two Master of Philosophy degrees and 251 Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
He added that 3,511 students would graduate through the university’s Centre for Affiliated Institutions.
Beyond conventional academic qualifications, Egbewole disclosed that 8,320 students had graduated under the university’s U-INSPIRE programme, which equips participants with additional 21st-century skills through partnerships with 10 industry partners.
He said the initiative reflected the institution’s commitment to preparing graduates for the demands of the modern workplace and entrepreneurship.
The vice-chancellor also disclosed that Toyibah Abiodun Abdullateef, a student of the Department of Science Education and member of the 2026 U-INSPIRE graduating cohort, designed the logo for the 41st convocation ceremonies.
Egbewole described the graduating students as evidence of the university’s sustained commitment to academic excellence, professional training, research and innovation.
He commended the institution’s academic and non-academic staff, parents, guardians, alumni, partners and other stakeholders for their contributions to the students’ achievements.
Highlighting developments recorded during the 2025/2026 academic session, he said the university received a ₦25 million award from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) at the sixth National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Award for its commitment to admission regulations.
He added that the institution secured a ₦1 billion intervention from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for equipment upgrades in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology.
According to him, UNILORIN also secured full accreditation for 11 academic programmes following the National Universities Commission’s accreditation exercise in November 2025.
The university further emerged as the first Nigerian institution to win the 2025/2026 Responsible Futures Fee Waiver Grant awarded by the International Association of Universities to promote sustainability in higher education.
On campus transportation, Egbewole said the institution had expanded its fleet to 12 compressed natural gas-powered buses and 20 electric tricycles to ease movement within the campus.
He also highlighted the university’s growing research profile, industry partnerships and international collaborations, including discussions with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on establishing a Centre of Excellence for practical engineering and technology-driven research.
The vice-chancellor cited the achievements of the university’s graduates in professional examinations, particularly Israel Adekunle Adeniyi, a law graduate who emerged as the 2026 best graduating student at the Nigerian Law School.
He said 15 other UNILORIN graduates also earned first-class honours in the Bar Final examinations released in April 2026.
The institution also produced four new Senior Advocates of Nigeria: Adebisi Emmanuel Adeniyi, Adebayo Folorunsho Ologe, Akorede Habeeb Lawal and Mohammed Adelodun.
In another achievement, three undergraduates secured a combined ₦150 million under the Federal Government’s Students Venture Grant competition, with each receiving ₦50 million for their respective project proposals.
Egbewole said the accomplishments demonstrated the university’s capacity to produce graduates capable of contributing meaningfully to national development and global scholarship.
He described the 41st convocation as an opportunity to assess the institution’s progress over the past four years and strengthen the foundation for its future growth.
“The 41st Convocation is more than a celebration of academic accomplishments. It is also an opportunity to take stock of the progress made over the past four years, which has greatly impacted our society, and to pass the legacy to the next administration,” he said.
Stronger Systems
He said that the university’s achievements were reflected in stronger institutional systems, improved facilities, growing research and innovation, expanded partnerships and the accomplishments of its graduates.
According to him, the institution’s long-term ambition remains anchored on its Vision 1:10:500 aspiration, which seeks to make UNILORIN Nigeria’s number-one university, place it among Africa’s top 10 universities and secure a position among the world’s top 500 universities.
Egbewole urged stakeholders to sustain the cooperation and shared responsibility required to achieve the vision.
“No administration can complete the work of a university in a single tenure; our responsibility is to make a meaningful contribution, leave a stronger platform for those who follow, and preserve the stability and ambition that enable the institution to advance,” he said.
The convocation activities began with a special Jumat service on Friday, October 16, followed by an interdenominational church service on Sunday, October 18.
The convocation lecture, titled “From Lecture Hall to Cabinet Room: The Journey from Academia to Public Leadership,” will be delivered by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, on Friday, October 23, at 9 a.m.
A command performance of the university’s opera production, “The Death of the Crown’s Escort,” is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, at the Performing and Film Arts Theatre, with performances at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Graduands in four-year programmes will receive their degrees on Wednesday, October 21, and Thursday, October 22, while those in five- and six-year programmes will graduate on Friday, October 23.
President Tinubu to commission Projects
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the university’s Visitor, is expected to commission completed projects on the campus on October 23 at 2:30 p.m. The day’s activities will conclude with a convocation luncheon and merit awards to deserving staff members.
The ceremonies will end with a thanksgiving church service at St Thomas Aquinas Chaplaincy on Sunday, October 25.
Egbewole urged invited guests and other participants to comply with arrangements put in place by the university to ensure the smooth conduct of the events.
He also called on the media to report the institution’s achievements accurately, describing UNILORIN’s story as one of resilience, innovation, excellence and continuing progress.
