The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State, will graduate 16,152 students during its 41st convocation ceremonies, with 365 undergraduates earning First-Class degrees in the 2025/2026 academic session.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing at the university auditorium, Ilorin, where he outlined the graduation statistics, institutional achievements and activities scheduled for the convocation.

According to him, 11,213 students will receive first degrees, while another 4,939 will be awarded higher degrees and diplomas.

Of the undergraduate graduands, 4,367 earned Second-Class Upper Division degrees, 5,102 obtained Second-Class Lower Division degrees, 1,006 graduated with Third-Class degrees, while 30 students earned Pass degrees.

The graduating class also includes 19 Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) graduates, 89 Nursing graduates, 73 Pharmacy graduates, 41 Optometry graduates, 89 Physiotherapy graduates and 32 Veterinary Medicine graduates.

Egbewole said the university would also award 160 postgraduate diplomas, 901 master's degrees, 114 professional master's degrees, two Master of Philosophy degrees and 251 Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

A further 3,511 students will graduate from the university's Centre for Affiliated Institutions.

The Vice-Chancellor said the figures reflected the institution's commitment to academic excellence, professional training, research, innovation and the production of graduates capable of contributing to national and global development.

Beyond conventional academic qualifications, he disclosed that 8,320 students had completed the university's U-INSPIRE programme, through which they acquired additional 21st-century skills developed in partnership with 10 industry partners.

He described the initiative as part of efforts to equip students with relevant competencies beyond their primary academic qualifications.

Egbewole also revealed that Toyibah Abiodun Abdullateef, a student of the Department of Science Education and a member of the 2026 U-INSPIRE graduating class, designed the logo for the 41st convocation ceremonies.

Highlighting the university's achievements during the 2025/2026 academic session, the Vice-Chancellor said UNILORIN received a N25 million award from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) at the sixth National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Award in recognition of its commitment to admission regulations.

The award was presented by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, on May 11, 2026.

He added that the university had expanded its campus transportation system with 12 Compressed Natural Gas-powered buses and 20 electric tricycles to ease movement within the institution.

The Vice-Chancellor also announced that UNILORIN became the first Nigerian university to win the 2025/2026 Responsible Futures Fee Waiver Grant awarded by the International Association of Universities for promoting sustainability within the university environment.

On academic quality, he said 11 programmes received full accreditation following an exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission in November 2025.

The institution also secured a N1 billion Tertiary Education Trust Fund intervention for equipment upgrades in its Faculty of Engineering and Technology.

Egbewole further disclosed that the university's Central Research Laboratory was selected to participate in a national baseline study on lead analysis capacity in Northern Nigeria, underscoring its growing contribution to scientific research and public health.

The university also received scientific equipment valued at approximately N100 million for the XSTAR Project Nigeria through its Department of Microbiology.

Other achievements highlighted included the emergence of a UNILORIN alumnus, Francis Taiwo Solanke, as Nigeria's 2025 Overall Best Teacher in the primary school category, and the success of the institution's law graduates at the Nigerian Law School.

He said Israel Adekunle Adeniyi emerged as the 2026 Best Graduating Student at the Nigerian Law School, while 15 other UNILORIN graduates earned First-Class results in the Bar Final examinations released in April 2026.

The university also produced four new Senior Advocates of Nigeria: Adebisi Emmanuel Adeniyi, Adebayo Folorunsho Ologe, Akorede Habeeb Lawal and Mohammed Adelodun.

In the area of student innovation, three undergraduates secured a combined N150 million under the Federal Government Students Venture Grant competition, with each recipient receiving N50 million for individual project proposals.

The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted the university's growing partnerships with local and international institutions, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the University of Karachi in Pakistan, Hainan University in China and the League of Tropical Universities.

He said the university was pursuing collaborations designed to strengthen research, professional training, technology-driven innovation and international academic exchange.

Egbewole said these achievements aligned with the institution's 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.

He called on stakeholders to sustain the collective efforts required to achieve the targets.

"Our ambitions require continuity of purpose, evidence-led decisions, responsible stewardship of resources and a collective willingness to keep improving," he said.

The Vice-Chancellor described the 41st convocation as more than a celebration of academic accomplishments, saying it also provided an opportunity to assess progress made over the past four years and prepare the institution for its next phase of development.

According to him, the administration's legacy includes strengthened institutional systems, improved facilities, expanding research and innovation, broader partnerships and a workforce committed to sustaining the university's standards.

"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, and 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.

The award of degrees to graduands of four-year programmes will hold on Wednesday, October 21, and Thursday, October 22, while graduands of five- and six-year programmes will receive their degrees on Friday, October 23.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the university's Visitor, is expected to commission a completed project on the campus on October 23 at 2:30 p.m.

The day's activities will also feature a convocation luncheon and merit awards for deserving staff members at the university's Multipurpose Hall.

The ceremonies will conclude with a thanksgiving church service at St Thomas Aquinas Chaplaincy on Sunday, October 25, at 9 a.m.

Egbewole urged guests and other participants to comply with the arrangements for the ceremonies, noting that admission to event venues would be strictly by invitation cards.

He expressed appreciation to the university's academic and non-academic staff, students, parents, alumni, partners, regulatory agencies and Governing Council for their contributions to the institution's development.

The Vice-Chancellor also called on the media to report the university's activities and achievements accurately, describing UNILORIN as an institution committed to resilience, innovation, excellence and national development.