…As Institution Marks 50 Years of Academic Excellence
Aishah Waliyullah
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, has declared that the University of Ilorin Alumni Association is “on the rise again” after years of internal crisis that once tainted its image and operations.
Agboke stated this on Friday while delivering a keynote address titled “UNILORIN @50: Celebrating Excellence, Sustaining Greatness” at the Golden Jubilee Symposium of the University of Ilorin, organised by the South-West Zone of the UNILORIN Alumni Association at the Banquet Hall of Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos.
He described the association’s rebirth as “a testimony to visionary leadership, institutional reform, and renewed commitment to collective progress.”
“The UNILORIN Alumni Association is on the rise again, not for retrogression but for progress and unique excellence,” Agboke said.
“We now have stable and clear-headed leadership, a befitting alumni secretariat on campus, active state chapters, and a strong rapport with the university management.”
Recalling the turbulent years of the association, Agboke said the body once suffered from misgovernance, fraudulent practices, and a near-total disconnect from the university community.
“It was a period when the association operated like a cult group — marked by suspicion, leadership failures, and financial recklessness,” he said.
“But through the intervention of the Board of Trustees, the association was rescued, reorganized, and repositioned.”
He commended the current leadership under Professor Abdul Rasak Olubusuyi Kilani, whom he described as “a visionary leader whose team has restored dignity, order, and purpose” to the association.
Agboke emphasized that alumni associations worldwide play critical roles in institutional development through mentoring, funding, advocacy, and networking.
He listed five key responsibilities of alumni bodies: building communal integration, supporting professional development, connecting graduates with their alma mater, advocating for institutional interests, and raising funds for growth projects.
He also highlighted four major pillars for sustaining alumni engagement — volunteering, communication, philanthropy, and empathy — noting that they are essential for fostering trust and long-term collaboration.
“Alumni associations are not meant to serve as feeding platforms for individuals,” Agboke stressed.
“They exist to build institutions, fund ideas, and sustain excellence. Members must see their membership as a call to service, not an avenue for personal gain.”
The INEC Commissioner challenged members to reject complacency and ensure transparency in leadership selection within the association.
“We must be vigilant about the people we push forward for leadership positions. The era of self-serving leaders feeding off the association’s resources must end,” he said.
“We need selfless, patriotic members who will sacrifice their time, energy, and resources to sustain the image of the UNILORIN Alumni Association.”
He urged the national leadership to strengthen state chapters across Nigeria, insisting that inactive or fictitious chapters should be restructured to ensure accountability.
Drawing inspiration from globally respected institutions, Agboke challenged UNILORIN Alumni to emulate the likes of Harvard University Alumni, whose name commands pride and global recognition.
“To be relevant globally, UNILORIN Alumni must become a loud and respected voice in national and educational matters,” he said.
“We must be heard — not just seen — in the conversation about Nigeria’s future.”
He also called for the establishment of mentorship and counseling programmes for fresh graduates, saying such initiatives would help prepare them for post-campus realities and strengthen their bond with the institution.
Agboke appealed to alumni members to “pay back” to the university that shaped their destinies through donations, mentorship, and active participation in university affairs.
“Remember your days on campus — the struggles, the strikes, the narrow escapes from carryovers,” he said amid laughter.
“Now that you have made it, it is time to give back. No amount is too small.”
He also applauded the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN), for steering the university towards greater heights and urged the alumni body to continue supporting his administration’s vision.
The University of Ilorin, founded in 1975, marks its 50th anniversary this year, celebrating five decades of consistent academic growth, discipline, and excellence.
Agboke commended the institution for producing many distinguished Nigerians across sectors, including Dr. Kayode Opeifa, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju (BKO), and countless others contributing to national development.
“UNILORIN has always been a university of choice,” he said. “Our responsibility as alumni is to sustain that legacy of excellence.”
He thanked the South-West chapters — Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun — for organizing the symposium, describing their efforts as “a symbol of renewed commitment to the greatness of our alma mater.”
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