The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole SAN, has said that the institution will not shut down its academic activities during the forthcoming general elections.
He, however, clarified that students and staff would not be disenfranchised as the university had designed a programme “where students can attend virtual classes and vote wherever they are.”
“We won’t suspend our lecturing for voting, Unilorin is digitised,” he added.
The VC also said the management of the university had designed the school’s academic programmes to ensure that all lost academic calendars to the 8 months strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities are recovered latest by October while a new academic session begins in August 2023. Egbewole made this known while fielding questions from journalists during his maiden media parley on Wednesday.
He said in the last 100 days of his assumption as vice-chancellor, the university under his regime had attracted N500 TETFund grants for hostel accommodation for its students, another N400 million for broadband from the ministry of communication and N200 million grant for ICT.
Similarly, the VC said some staff of the school have also attracted N100 million grants through their research works for the university adding that the university “has patented 18- 20 products of its research works.”
Egbewole also announced plans by the university under his administration to complete its long-initiated Tanke–UNILORIN rail transportation system to ease the transport hiccups being faced by the students.
He stressed that the university “is engaging the Embassy of China” to handle the project which according to him had been initiated about 10- 15 years ago.
In addition, the VC said the university under his administration was planning an “electric bus transportation system at the micro level” to ensure students have a smooth ride.
