The University of Ilorin has entered into partnership with Professor Ramar Krishnamurthy from Uka Tarsadia University, India to cultivate a revolutionary new strain of rice that thrives without constant water supply.
Unilorin’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, who disclosed this on Thursday, during a press briefing that heralds the institution’s 39th convocation ceremony, stated that the innovative, drought-resistant rice will be poised for commercial production soon, promising to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and boost food security.
That is not the only area that the institution is striving to lift Nigeria out of the current crisis of economy and food insecurity. Professor Egbewole also highlighted the university’s strides in digital innovation, noting its successful migration to Amazon Web Services (AWS) to bolster data security and minimize downtimes.
He added that the university has introduced several cutting-edge solutions, including a scalable Enterprise Resource Portal (ERP), a digital admissions ranking system, and an automated platform for student union elections, further enhancing operational efficiency and student experience.
According to him, “The University of Ilorin has made remarkable progress in its digital transformation journey, which has enhanced efficiency, security, and accessibility in our operations.”
The Vice-Chancellor further noted the university’s achievements in research, including the revival of the ₦200m Senate Research Grant (SRG) and its 20 patents and innovations.
He said, “Our LABTOP Centre also received recognition at the Inaugural Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPPTO) awards in Nigeria.
The VC also stated that the institutions will be graduating 12,042 students during its 39th convocation ceremony, with 256 First Class degree holders among the graduates.
Egbewole noted that the upcoming convocation is a significant milestone, with graduates from various faculties, including Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine, set to receive their degrees.
“For the 39th Convocation Ceremonies, the University shall be graduating a total of 12,042. In the First Degree/Diploma category. We have 256 First Class, 3842 Second Class (Upper Division), 6178 Second Class (Lower Division), 1299 Third Class and 62 Pass.
“The 39th Convocation Ceremonies also include 124 MB/BS graduands, 64 nursing graduands, 35 optometry graduands, 30 veterinary medicine graduands, 18 graduands with distinction and 85 graduands with pass in pharmacy, 1 distinction and 32 pass in physiotherapy.
“We have a total of 16 diploma degree holders. Furthermore, the total number of higher degrees to be awarded at the 39th Convocation Ceremonies is 1,875; out of this figure, there are 92 postgraduate diplomas, 1,280 masters from various faculties, 179 professional masters, 1 MPhiland 323 PhDs,” he said.
