Campus News

UNILORIN TEC hosts innovation summit

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has urged students participating in the TEC ASBE summit to make use of the opportunity given to them wisely.

Prof. Egbewole made the call last Monday (January 20, 2025) while declaring open the Technical and Entrepreneurship Centre ASBE Innovation Summit 2.0, held at the University Auditorium.

The Vice Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovation), Prof. Adegboyega Adisa Fawole, disclosed that the Summit was a remarkable journey of innovation, collaboration, and progress.

He maintained that the theme of the summit, “Entrepreneurship for Everyone: Breaking the Barrier of Opportunities”, aligns with the core values of the institution, which shows that “we are committed to fostering an environment that not only nurtures academic excellence but also inspires groundbreaking ideas and practical solutions to societal challenges.”

Prof. Egbewole urged the participants to engage fully in the sessions, discussions, and networking opportunities as the summit is a space where ideas flourish and collaborations are forged.

“I commend the organisers of the TEC ASBE Summit and I urge participants to make use of this opportunity wisely”, he said.

He also charged the organisers to use performance indicators to measure the success of what has been done in the programme.

The Vice Chancellor expressed his profound appreciation to the organisers, sponsors, and all those who have contributed to making the event a reality, adding that “your dedication and vision are commendable, and your efforts are paving the way for a brighter future for our students”.

Earlier, in his remarks, the Director of the Technical and Entrepreneurship Centre (TEC), Prof. Usman Adebimpe Raheem, noted that the mission of TEC is to bring out ideas of participants that may contain business prospects, train them to fulfill the requirements for pitching and expose them to contest for small grants as a caricature of competing for limited financial resources in the outside world.

Prof. Raheem added that the process had been thorough and rigorous, leveraging standard and globally acclaimed procedures mid-wifed by the conduit of ASBE Webinars conducted by a UK based expert on Entrepreneurship Development, Dr Irene Brew-Riverson of the University of Westminster, United Kingdom.

He explained that TEC had painstakingly trained and engaged 72 trainers, 14 Collaborators, 20 Evaluators, 128 Panelists, 10 Judges and 15 observers; including online evaluations of applicants from ASBE programme affiliated Institutions.

The Director appealed to the University Management to accept and embrace TEC ASBE Innovation Summit annually as a modest contribution to the actualisation of the Administration’s generic vision 1:10:100.

Prof. Raheem noted that “the good work of TEC has been adopted by friends of our University with student participants coming from Fountain University, Osogbo; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso; Federal University, Oye Ekiti and University of Beau, in faraway Cameroon”.

In her submission, the International Coordinator of TEC ASBE, Prof. Foluke Eunice Sola-Ojo, appreciated the Vice Chancellor and his management team for their continuous support for the programme and the Centre.

She appreciated the founders of ASBE under the chairmanship of Prof. Peter Oladapo Adeoye and other partners for their continuous support of the programme.

Highlights of the one-week programme, attended by students across Faculties of the University and other sister universities, included panel discussion comprising of Director, Academic Planning, University of Ilorin, Prof. A. A.  Adeoye, Prof. Yunusa from Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr Oladele from Fountain University and Prof. Olushola Akande from Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, on how to be a successful entrepreneur.

Among those that attended the programme were the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services, Prof. Suleiman Folorunsho Ambali); the Registrar, Mr Mansur Adeleke Alfanla; the Bursar, Mr Abiodun Lawal; and the University Librarian, Dr Kamaldeen Omopupa.