The University of Ilorin, (UNILORIN), has made plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Republic of China to construct a rail transportation system to ease movement in and around it’s environment.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Wahab Egbewole, made this known at a media parley on Saturday in Ilorin.

Professor Egbewole while speaking with journalists shed light on the plans by the university to complete its long initiated Tanke – Unilorin rail transportation system to ease the transport hiccups being faced by the students.

He noted that, “the institution with students between 60,000-70,000 population, getting such MoU achieved would assist the academic excellence of the students”.

Professor Egbewole added that, “there is ongoing move now to solve transportation system of the University of Ilorin. We have embarked on Memorandum of Understanding with embassies in Nigeria, especially the Republic of China to help us do the rail system into the campus of the university so as to reduce the problem of transportation problem.”

Highlighting the journey so far, He said that in the last 100 days of his assumption as Vice Chancellor, the university under his tenure had attracted five hundred million naira (₦500,000,000) TETFUND grants for hostel accommodation for its students, another four hundred million naira (₦400,000,000) for broad band from Ministry of Communications and two hundred million naira (₦200,000,000) grant for ICT.

Egbewole said that “within the past 109 days, many great things have happened for which one can only be grateful to God.

“The excellence of our staff has impacted on the university and the excellence of the university has also impacted on the staff.

“The elevation of 31 new professors and 38 readers in various departments has brought joy to many families and reassured the staff that hard work pays.

“Besides, that 11 academic staff of the university were announced within the period as among the top 500 authors by the internationally acclaimed Elsevier is an indication of the standard that the university has.”

He also added that “the University of Ilorin has also lived to its bidding as one of the most prolific producers of vice chancellors in Nigeria.

“While the university is known to have produced pioneer vice chancellors of many universities, it has also been recording vice chancellors and heads of tertiary institutions in recent years.

“Within the past days of my tenure, in addition to those already on ground, the university has produced the Vice Chancellors of Fountain University, Osogbo, and Crown-Hill University, Ilorin, in persons of Prof. Ramota Karim and Prof. Jeleel Ojuade.”

On the 2023 general elections, he affirmed that no student nor lecturer will be prevented from exercising their franchise, the Unilorin Vice Chancellor noted that the university would not suspend its academic  programmes for students  to vote because it had already designed a programme where students can attend virtual classes and votes wherever they are.

ALSO READ: Ogunsola Steps In As UNILAG VC As Ogundipe Bows Out

Half-Salary: We Await Court’s Ruling- ASUU