The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Emeritus Professor Ishaq Oloyede, has criticised several Nigerian universities for the indiscriminate conferment of honorary degrees and awards, both locally and internationally.
Speaking at the University of Ilorin’s investiture ceremony on Wednesday—part of activities marking its 50th anniversary—Oloyede lamented that honorary degrees had lost their value due to the frequency and lack of merit behind many of such recognitions. The event honoured 65 distinguished Nigerians for their contributions to the university and society.
Oloyede, who once served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, highlighted the institution’s long-standing principle of reserving honorary degrees only for deserving individuals. “During my tenure as Vice Chancellor, we made a conscious decision not to join the bandwagon. For nearly two decades, the University of Ilorin has distanced itself from indiscriminate awarding of honorary degrees,” he said.
Commending the Vice Chancellor, Professor Wahab Egbewole, for adopting a more merit-based approach to honouring individuals, Oloyede praised the university’s shift away from traditional honorary degrees to a more dignified and impactful model.
“There’s no honorary degree that could surpass the value of today’s recognition,” he noted. “In the past, some recipients even sent their drivers to collect honorary awards on their behalf, showing how little they regard them. What the University of Ilorin has done today is a creative and worthy alternative.”
In his remarks, Vice Chancellor Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN) explained that the 65 honourees were divided into three categories: 50 university ambassadors, 10 distinguished alumni, and two recipients of the Award of Excellence.
According to Egbewole, the ambassadors were nominated by their respective faculties and vetted by the university’s Centre for Advancement. He stated that these individuals were recognised for their consistent loyalty, support, and meaningful contributions to the institution—whether through mentorship, financial resources, or partnerships.
Distinguished Alumni were selected based on their outstanding achievements in their fields and continued commitment to the university. The Award of Excellence, Egbewole noted, is reserved for individuals, regardless of alumni status, who have shown exceptional and self-motivated dedication to the university.
One such recipient was Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, a 1984 graduate of the university’s medical school. This year alone, he sponsored 40 academic staff members to attend international conferences, providing N5 million each—a total of N200 million. Additionally, he donated a new Hilux vehicle for campus security and contributed to the purchase of an Anatomage machine through his alumni class set.
