About N4.5 million as been announced by the authority of University of Ilorin as research grant for the three outstanding supervisors whose students recently excelled at the Nigeria Universities Doctoral Thesis Awards Scheme, NUDTAS,

The Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Professor AbdulGaniyu Ambali, stated this when he formally received the NUDTAS award winners in his office last week Friday.

He praised their supervisors – Prof. K. L. Ayorinde of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. V. A. Alabi of the Faculty of Arts and Prof. T. S. Ibiyemi of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology saying that the University recognised the fact that without their expertise and thoroughness, the students' theses would not have won the awards.

The three Unilorin doctoral graduates; – Sola-Ojo Foluke Eunice of the Faculty of Agriculture, Ojeniyi Sola Adetunji of the Faculty of Arts, and Gbenga-Ilori Abiodun Omowunmi of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology – were among the 17 winners of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 joint edition of the Awards organised by the National Universities Commission, NUC, to reward academic excellence with special focus on outstanding doctoral theses.

Meanwhile, the VC congratulated the supervisors, who were all present at the occasion, for jobs well done liking them to the proverbial hen that lays the golden egg, saying "If you forget to take care of the hen and you just concentrate on the egg, that may be your last egg."

Professor Ambali also explained that the University necessarily has to give special recognition to the supervisors "Because without them these awards wouldn't have been ours, with them producing this calibre of students with limited resources or facilities, there is no doubt that with more encouragement, the medium size golden egg they have been able to give us now is likely to become jumbo size golden egg next year.

"Towards this end, we want to encourage them to do more. And in the light of that, I want to announce that the University, through its research grant, will be happy to fund more researches by them to the tune of N1.5 million each."

The VC in addition however congratulated the award winning doctoral graduates and the Postgraduate School on the relentless work and drive towards projecting the name of the University.

"We thank you for making the University proud and we hope and pray that you won't relent in your efforts because we still have a long way to go."

Speaking on the potentials that lays in Nigerians, the UNILORIN helmsman said: "Nigerians are very hardworking people and each time they have the opportunity to go outside the country, they usually excel", even as he lamented a situation whereby inadequate infrastructure is posing a serious challenge to the Nigerian's push to excel.