In a bid to key into the Federal Government’s efforts to make Nigeria a food basket of Sub-Saharan Africa, the authority of the University of Ilorin has earmarked 5,000 of its 15, 000 hectares of land for interested staff and students for commercial farming.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, disclosed this at the official presentation of items, purchased by the 1988 set of the Faculty of Agriculture of the university to the management of the faculty.
The VC, who spoke through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovation), Prof.
Mikhail Olayinka Buhari, said the university had begun the process of accessing UniLorin earmarks 5,000 hectares for farming loan facilities of about N2billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to drive the farming scheme.
Abdulkareem explained that the university is currently using five per cent of the total 15,000 hectares of its land mass, saying that the initiative would not only put the university land up for productive use, but also boost the country’s economy.
He gave assurance that the University will also key into the Federal Government’s Ranching Programme, as a way of finding a permanent solution to the herdsmen/farmers’ clashes in the country.
While commending members of the 1988 set of the Faculty of Agriculture for procuring items worth one million naira for their Faculty, the Vice-Chancellor appreciated them for their sacrifices and described them as good ambassadors of the better by far university.
He stated that the University had begun the compilation of names of its alumni, home and abroad, for linkages for possible synergy between the University and their respective places of work.
Abdulkareem urged the members of the 1988 set of the Faculty to join the main alumni body of the University so as to collectively move the University forward.
Presenting the items to the Dean of the Faculty, the President of the set, Dr (Mrs.) OlajumokeOjo, said that the gesture was to contribute their quotas to the development of their Alma Mater.
Ojo, who came from the USA for the programme, said that the fund used to purchase the items was contributed by all members of the set.
She thanked the successive managements of the university for their invaluable roles in making the University of Ilorin play a dominant role in the country’s education sector.
The items presented are a generator set, three sets of Public Address System, Incubator, Deep Freezer, Table & Executive Chair, Visitor Table, Digital Scale, PH meter, Water Acid Tester, Insect Trapper, 600 Microscope Slides, Soil Tester, and Battery Operated Microscope.
Responding on receipt of the items, the Dean, Prof.
Gbadebo Olaoye, thanked the members of the 1988 set for the gesture and pledged that the items would be judiciously used.
Ends UTME screening today For four days running, authorities of the University of Ilorin UniLorin) had been screening prospective students for its postUnified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in the 2018/2019 academic session.
No fewer than 39, 711 candidates took part in the exercise, which Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, said 29, 562 were screened at the Ilorin Centre while 10, 149 were at the Lagos centre.
Akogun said Friday (today) was set aside for candidates, who might have missed the four-screening at any of the centres.
He said: “A further breakdown of the figure shows that 32, 272 candidates are seeking admission through the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), while the remaining 7, 439 candidates are seeking admission through the Direct Entry (DE) window,” he said.
According to Akogun, about 86, 401 candidates made the University of Ilorin their first choice institution in the last Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB)-moderated UTME.
He stressed that the institution has emerged as the most preferred University for the fifth consecutive year.
He added that statistics released by JAMB during the 2018 JAMB Admission Policy Meeting showed other nine most preferred universities as Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) -74,635; the University of Benin (UNIBEN) – 70,322; and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) – 66,486.
Others included University of Lagos (UNILAG) – 62,436; Bayero University Kano (BUK) – 56,261; Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) – 48,646; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) – 48,554; the University of Ibadan (UI) – 47,544; and the University of Jos (UNIJOS) – 46,082
