Big Story: NGO endows prize in Oloyede’s honour

A non-governmental organisation, Roundtable of Academic Mentors, otherwise known as The Mentors, has endowed an annual award to be known as “Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede Prize” for the best graduating student of the Department of Religions, University of Ilorin, in honour of the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, CON.

The annual prize, which is worth the sum of N50,000, is targeted at encouraging academic excellence among students of the University, particularly those of the Department, which produced the highly celebrated 8th Vice Chancellor of the nation’s most sought-after University.

This was disclosed by the Coordinator of The Mentors, Prof. Wasiu Olanrewaju Raji, in a chat with UNILORIN Bulletin, last Monday (August 19, 2024).

Prof. Raji, who is a former Head of the Department of Geophysics, said that The Mentors had secured the approval of the University Administration as regards the endowment, which he said would take effect from this year’s convocation ceremonies, in October.

He added that the group had deposited the sum of N500, 000 into the University’s Scholarship Account for the seamless implementation of the award.

                Prof. Raji said that The Mentors, whose membership include Dr Adewale George Adeniyi, who teaches at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Ms Abosede Sewedo Panu of the Registry Unit, decided to honour Prof. Oloyede with the prize “based on his lifelong legacy of mentoring the youth and the quality of his leadership before and during his tenure as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and Registrar of JAMB”.

He expressed his gratitude to the University management for approving the endowment as he also thanked Prof. Oloyede for accepting to be honoured by the group.

Prof. Raji described The Mentors as “a non-political group of people working in the University setting, within and outside Nigeria, including some teaching and non-teaching staff of the University of Ilorin”.

The Coordinator, who is also a former Director, Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), said that The Mentors is prepared to impact on the University and the nation at large, particularly in the academic sector, as it has been doing since its establishment in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has applauded The Mentors for deeming it fit to endow the prize.

In a letter of acknowledgement recently addressed to the Financial Secretary of the group, Dr Muhammed Kabir Garba and signed by the Deputy Registrar (Senate), Mrs Taiwo K. Afolayan, on behalf of the Registrar, Mr Mansur Adeleke Alfanla, the Vice Chancellor appreciated and commended The Mentors for all its “foresight and commitment to the promotion of scholarship and development of education” and hopes that it “would continue to sustain its laudable initiative for a long time to come”.

The honouree, Prof. Oloyede, graduated with a First Class degree from the University in 1981. He subsequently obtained all his degrees at the University and started his career at the Department of Religions as a Lecturer in 1982.

He rose through the ranks and became a Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence in 1995. He was the Director of Academic Planning of the University. He equally served as Deputy Vice Chancellor before his eventual appointment as the Vice Chancellor between 2007 and 2012.

Prof. Oloyede, who has attended several training programmes across and beyond the shores of Nigeria and has authored and co-authored several articles in reputable local and international intellectual outlets, remains a notable voice in the project targeted at a better Nigeria.

                This distinguished Unilorite is also a member of many local and international learned and professional societies.

                He is also the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). He was equally the Executive Secretary and National Coordinator of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), among several other roles he has played in the past.

                Prof. Oloyede, a hardworking academic and outstanding administrator, was first appointed as the Registrar of JAMB in 2016 by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was reappointed into the same position by the same administration in 2021. He has not only been giving a good account of himself but has also been projecting the good image of the University of Ilorin and the academia in general.