President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a lecture theatre and renovated university buildings at the University of Ilorin, with a call for their proper maintenance. The ceremony took place on Friday, 23 October, during the institution’s 41st convocation.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, represented the President. The university in Ilorin, Kwara State, published its account of the commissioning on Monday, 26 October.
The works included the construction and furnishing of a lecture theatre at the College of Health Sciences. Renovation and rehabilitation covered the Administrative Building, University Auditorium, Senate Chamber and Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences building.
The university attributed the projects to the administration of its vice-chancellor, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole. Its account did not state their construction costs, individual funding sources or the seating capacity of the lecture theatre.
Speaking for the President, Ahmad commended the university management’s work on institutional development and infrastructure. Tinubu asked management, staff and students to protect the facilities and maintain them for teaching, learning and research.
He also called on staff to remain dedicated to their duties and contribute to the university’s continued development. Royal News independently reported the commissioning, identifying the same buildings and the minister’s role as presidential representative.
In his convocation address, Tinubu urged graduates to apply their education to creating employment and solving problems. He said completing their degrees marked the beginning of greater responsibility, rather than the end of their education.
The President linked a strong university system to stable academic calendars, motivated staff and constructive engagement between government, university management and staff unions. He said outstanding concerns should be addressed through dialogue and responsible negotiation.
According to the university’s account of the address, Tinubu said the Federal Government had signed agreements with academic and non-teaching unions covering universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
He identified the Consolidated Academic Tool Allowance and Consolidated Non-Teaching Tool Allowance, with effect from 1 January 2026. His remarks described the agreements; they did not provide a university-by-university payment record.
Tinubu said both academic and non-teaching workers were indispensable to quality education. He associated industrial harmony with uninterrupted learning, research and institutional productivity.
The wider convocation programme also brought together Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie.
AbdulRazaq, represented by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, said the state’s education investments extended beyond buildings to teaching quality, research and institutional capacity. He asked graduates to develop solutions to challenges facing Kwara and Nigeria.
Wurie delivered a lecture titled “From Lecture Hall to Cabinet Room: The Journey from Academia to Public Leadership”. She called for leadership informed by evidence and institutions capable of enduring beyond their current leaders.
She said universities should develop talent, support entrepreneurship and supply research for policymaking. She also called for education partnerships that build local capacity and address barriers affecting women, girls and persons with disabilities.
Wurie urged graduates and leaders to remain open to scrutiny, seek advice and continue learning throughout their careers.
