The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN has announced that the institution will graduate 16,152 students during its 41st convocation ceremonies, with 365 graduands securing First-Class Honours for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Egbewole made the disclosure on Monday, October 19, 2026, during a pre-convocation press briefing themed “From Legacy to Impact” held at the university auditorium in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Giving a breakdown of the graduating class, the Vice-Chancellor stated that 11,213 will receive first degrees, while 4,939 will be awarded higher degrees and diplomas.
Among the first-degree recipients, 4,367 earned Second-Class Upper Division, 5,102 secured Second-Class Lower Division, 1,006 obtained Third-Class, and 30 graduated with Pass degrees, alongside 302 graduates from professional disciplines including Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Optometry, Physiotherapy, and Veterinary Medicine.
The higher degree category comprises 251 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees, 901 Master’s degrees, 114 professional Master’s degrees, two Master of Philosophy degrees, and 160 postgraduate diplomas, with an additional 3,511 graduating through affiliated institutions.
Highlighting major institutional developments over the session, Egbewole noted that the university received a N1 billion Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) intervention for engineering equipment upgrades, secured N25 million from JAMB for admission compliance, gained full NUC accreditation for 11 academic programs, and expanded its campus fleet with 12 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and 20 electric tricycles.
He also celebrated outstanding national achievements by alumni and undergraduates, including Law graduate Israel Adekunle Adeniyi emerging as the 2026 best graduating student at the Nigerian Law School, 15 graduates securing First-Class at the Bar Finals, four alumni elevated to Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), and three undergraduates winning N150 million in Federal Government Students Venture Grants.
The convocation events, which commenced with interfaith services, will feature a lecture titled “From Lecture Hall to Cabinet Room: The Journey from Academia to Public Leadership” by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, on Friday, October 23, followed by project commissioning by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Degrees for four-year programs will be awarded on October 21 and 22, while five- and six-year programs alongside postgraduate degrees will be conferred on October 23, concluding the 41st convocation cycle.