The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, has revealed how some parents took loans, accepted extra jobs and sacrificed personal comforts to finance their children’s education.
He urged graduands not to waste the investment.
Egbewole said parents and guardians had gone to extraordinary lengths to keep their children in school.
He said some diverted money meant for building houses and buying cars to pay for accommodation, textbooks, learning materials and other educational needs.
Addressing graduands at the university’s 41st convocation ceremony on Wednesday, he said the sacrifices should inspire them to become responsible citizens, support their parents when able and use their education to make meaningful contributions to society.
“Some of you went to extraordinary lengths to sustain your children’s education. Some took loans. Some took on additional jobs. Others prayed and fasted while their children prepared for examinations.
“Today, I say to you, your labour was not in vain. You invested in these young men and women, and today, you are witnessing the fruits of that investment”, he said.
The vice-chancellor identified parental sacrifice, institutional support and personal commitment as the three major investments behind the graduates’ achievements.
He urged the graduands to justify their parents’ efforts by becoming people of integrity and supporting their families when they could afford to do so.
He added that success should be measured not only by earnings but also by character.
Egbewole also charged the graduates to deploy their knowledge towards addressing Nigeria’s challenges, including unemployment, insecurity, inadequate healthcare, food insecurity and declining moral values.
“Our nation faces serious challenges, including unemployment, insecurity, inadequate healthcare, food insecurity and moral decline. These challenges are real, but they are not insurmountable,” he said.
He advised the graduates against joining those who merely complain about the country’s problems, urging them instead to create value, develop solutions and make positive contributions to their communities.
The university presented 11,213 first-degree graduands, including 365 First-Class Honours recipients, 4,367 Second-Class Upper Division graduates, 5,102 Second-Class Lower Division graduates and 1,006 Third-Class graduates.
Another 373 fell under other degree classifications in the university’s records.
A further 4,939 graduands completed higher-degree and diploma programmes, including 251 PhD recipients, while 3,511 graduated through the university’s Centre for Affiliated Institutions.
The vice-chancellor thanked the Federal Government for supporting university education through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
He said the interventions had helped keep educational opportunities open to students who might otherwise struggle to finance their studies.
He highlighted the achievements of three UNILORIN undergraduates who secured a combined N150m under the Federal Government Students Venture Grant competition, receiving N50m each for their respective project proposals among other achievements.
Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Surveyor Abiodun Jacob Aluko, called for increased funding for university research, particularly projects designed to address practical problems.
“Research is the engine of development. No nation can develop beyond the level of research conducted in its universities,” Aluko said.
He urged alumni to support their alma mater through scholarships, infrastructure development, research facilities and mentorship.
The institution, which began 50 years ago with 200 students and a handful of staff, has grown to more than 50,000 students.
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