The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, led executives of sister universities to attend the 15th convocation ceremony of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
The event, held at the Atere Campus of the faith-based institution, was attended by the Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Kayode Alabi, representing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Other dignitaries included Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Abuja, and Prof. Sheikh Luqman Alade Jimoh, Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete.
Also present was Dr. Usman Atolagbe Abubakar Jos, Balogun Alanamu of Ilorin and Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at UNILORIN, along with several other notable figures in academia and public service.
Prof. Egbewole, who is the initiator and Chairman of the Consortium of Kwara Universities (KU8+), has actively promoted networking among universities within and beyond Kwara State since assuming office in October 2022. He also serves as Vice-President (West Africa) of the Association of African Universities (AAU) and Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU).
Mr. Kunle Akogun, Director of Corporate Affairs at UNILORIN, said Prof. Egbewole’s attendance was a deliberate effort to strengthen collaboration between the two universities. “Al-Hikmah University was groomed by UNILORIN when it was established two decades ago as the first private tertiary institution and the second university in Kwara State,” he noted.
He added that many past leaders of Al-Hikmah University, including Prof. Musibau Adewumi Akanji, Prof. Rasaq Deremi Abubakar, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, and Prof. Noah Yusuf, had previously served as staff at UNILORIN.
Mr. Akogun explained that Prof. Egbewole’s presence was also intended to support the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Lateef Folorunsho Oladimeji, a former national official of the UNILORIN Alumni Association, and to celebrate the first convocation organized under his administration.
The visit was further described as a gesture of appreciation to the founder of Al-Hikmah University, Alhaji (Dr.) AbdulRaheem Oladimeji, OFR, who has maintained a longstanding relationship with UNILORIN.
Mr. Akogun assured that UNILORIN, under Prof. Egbewole’s leadership, will continue to serve as a “big brother” to other universities in Kwara State, promoting quality education, collaboration, and improved service delivery among member institutions of the KU8+ consortium.
The initiative underscores UNILORIN’s ongoing commitment to fostering inter-university partnerships and advancing higher education across the state.
