Dialogue, staff welfare secrets behind our success, says UNILORIN VC

Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, said on Sunday that continuous dialogue with stakeholders in the university and staff welfare were factors responsible for uninterrupted academic calendar in the institution.
Ambali made this known while fielding questions at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum in Abuja.
He said that the university had recorded successes infrastructure development and uninterrupted academic because all stakeholders were carried along in the day-to-day administration of the institution.
“I think the secret behind our success is the harmonisation of ideas by all stakeholders on campus; you have the students, the community and the staff have their various unions and we have the management.
“Over the years we went though turbulent periods, then we all sat down to map out our strategies and way forward, so we became more focused.
“Then we all agreed to be our brother’s keeper in making sure everybody make meaningful contributions and whatever responsibility is given to an individual he preforms it perfectly,” he said.
The vice-chancellor added that the university operated a transparent and open door policy where management ensured they heard and addressed students’ challenges as well as the various unions.
The don said that the university authorities also shared their challenges with the students and unions.
“ We make sure we intimate all the unions when the university has some money and we also make sure we carry them along when the university has some financial challenges.
“So, we are all working toward the same goal and we make sure we share our responsibilities and liabilities,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university was able to sustain this culture by ensuring students and staff welfare was paramount in its daily activities.
According to him, staff allowances, promotions and all those things that get them motivated are put in place so that we continue to enjoy their contributions.
Ambali added that the management continued to dialogue with the students in order to keep pace with their needs and challenges.
“We try to probe into their minds and their new needs and we address those needs effectively and I think that has been able to sustain what we have till date.
“ In the last three years, the university of Ilorin has been the most subscribed university in the country with over 100,000 applicants wanting to study in the university.
“And the quota that we have is just about 10, 000 spaces which means we have to device a means of screening those 100, 000 to bring them down to the required number, Ambali said.
The vice-chancellor expressed hope that the university authorities would continue to refine whatever it was doing in order to improve on it.