By Ismail Azeez
The Osun State Government has approved the payment of over N3 billion in outstanding allowances and the conversion of 300 temporary staff at the University of Ilesa (UNILESA) to permanent status.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Taiwo Asaolu, stated that the intervention approved by Governor Ademola Adeleke has restored industrial peace and significantly stabilized the institution’s operations.
He noted that the university has recorded a remarkable transformation across its academic, infrastructural, and administrative sectors within three years of its establishment.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, UNILESA established in April 2023 following the upgrade of the former Osun State College of Education, Ilesa—has undergone rapid development.
The university currently runs 97 academic programs, all approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC), covering disciplines such as Law, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Physiotherapy, Optometry, Chinese Studies, and Special Education.
Prof. Asaolu highlighted the university’s unique 18-hole golf course as a notable milestone that has projected the institution’s image nationally.
The facility has hosted numerous tournaments and served as the venue for the Professional Golfers’ Association’s 15th Qualifying School Seminar, firmly establishing UNILESA as an emerging golfing destination.
The university also established an Integrated Teaching and Research Farm to provide agriculture students with hands-on field experience. The farm currently houses a cattle ranch, fish ponds, poultry, turkey and rabbit units, crop demonstration plots, and agro-processing facilities, with plans underway to expand its commercial viability.
The Vice-Chancellor emphasized that the university places a premium on entrepreneurship education as a critical pillar of graduate employability. With strategic support from the Osun State Government and TETFund, the institution has made substantial investments in modern training equipment and dedicated skill acquisition centers.
Prof. Asaolu concluded by acknowledging the tremendous support of Governor Adeleke, noting that the university stands as a testament to the Governor’s broader interventions in infrastructure renewal across Osun State.
He credited the Governor for resolving the agitations of over 300 staff inherited from the defunct college who had previously served under inhumane conditions, receiving salaries of less than N25,000 per month while others were owed various allowances.