UNILORIN Receives N2.5bn TETFund Intervention, N1.5bn Student Loan Support
The management of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has announced the receipt of a ₦2.56 billion intervention fund from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for the 2025 fiscal year.
Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), made this disclosure on Monday during a press briefing to mark the institution’s 40th Convocation Ceremony held in Ilorin.
According to him, the fund will cover eleven strategic areas, including physical infrastructure development, programme upgrades, academic staff training, ICT support, entrepreneurship development, and career services, among others.
Prof. Egbewole further revealed that the university also received ₦300 million as a zonal intervention to execute various projects across the campus.
“A special high-impact project (SHIP) worth ₦4 billion has been approved for upgrading facilities at the College of Health Sciences, alongside another ₦750 million for the construction of a hostel in the College,” he said.
He added that the awards were presented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, on April 29, 2025, describing TETFund as a lifeline for tertiary education in Nigeria.
The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that UNILORIN has secured ₦1.596 billion under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for 12,983 students in the 2024/2025 academic session.
“This loan covers students across all disciplines, including those in medical sciences. It is a laudable initiative by the Federal Government that ensures no student drops out due to financial constraints,” he stated.
Highlighting the university’s academic achievements, Prof. Egbewole noted that UNILORIN staff continue to gain global recognition, featuring prominently on Google Scholar.
He listed the top three most-cited scholars from the institution as Dr. Israel Odeyokun (11,826 citations), Dr. Afis Bashiru (11,755 citations), and Prof. Olugbenga Odebode (11,073 citations).
In research development, the university awarded ₦177 million in Senate Research Grants to 81 academic staff members under the 2025 academic year, aimed at boosting research productivity.
He also noted that UNILORIN received a ₦2 million research support grant from the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) in recognition of the university’s teamwork, dedication, and creativity.
On campus infrastructure, Prof. Egbewole announced the introduction of 30 new campus buses to ease transportation for staff and students, describing the initiative as part of the institution’s commitment to improving commuter experience.
He added that the university recorded a 100% success rate in the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation exercise conducted in November/December 2024, with 36 out of 37 programmes granted full accreditation.
The Vice-Chancellor also revealed that the Defence Space Administration (DSA), in collaboration with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), had completed a research facility on campus, which will be commissioned in November 2025.
As part of the university’s cultural engagement, he noted that UNILORIN hosted Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on May 19–20, 2025, during its maiden Cultural Day celebrations organised by the Centre for Cultural Studies and Creative Arts.
In his comprehensive speech and list of achievements, Prof. Egbewole announced that the university was awarded ₦75 million for emerging runners-up in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) 2025 National Tertiary Admission Performance Merit Award (NATAP-M).
