By Idris Alooma

In the wisdom, foresight, and farsightedness of Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the University of Ilorin Radio, (UNILORIN 89.3 FM), was established not merely to air programmes, but to shape minds, refine voices, and raise leaders. From its first broadcast on August 13, 2009, to its formal commissioning on October 22, 2011, by the then President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, represented by the then Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyat Rufai, the station has lived up to its mantra: Better By Far.

The vision was simple and profound: to train professional broadcasters, project the good image of the University of Ilorin, and promote functional education in line with the institution’s mission. As the elders say, “He who builds a house must remember the foundation.” That foundation was laid by pioneer staff like Mr Segun Alabi, Mr Jerry Aideloje, and the first set of student volunteers who walked into a studio with more faith than equipment. The late Mr Abdulganiyu Durodola, the pioneer General Manager, set the tone of excellence. Today, that torch is being carried by the present GM, Mr Idris Alooma, a global and award-winning broadcaster, an alumnus and the very first staff member to lead the station. This is a clear testimony that the house raises its own.

The station, which began under the Directorate of Corporate Affairs, has enjoyed excellent supervision since inception. From Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, who was the Head of the Directorate when the radio was established, to Chief Kunle Akogun of Oke Ode Kingdom, the incumbent Director of Corporate Affairs, the administrative support has remained strong. A special committee of visionaries, including the late Dr. Doyin Mahmud, Prof. Saudat Abdulbaqi, Dr. Abdulkadri Oba Laaro, and Prof. Lukman Adesina Azeez, worked to put the station on solid ground.

Governance has also been deliberate. It started with the pioneer Board of Management chaired by the legendary late Prof. Ayo Akinwale, with Dr. Mahmud Abdulraheem, Prof. Pius Abioje, Prof. Abubakri Imam Aliagan, and others. Today, the station is guided by the current board led by Chairman Prof. Jeleel Olasunkanmi Ojuade, with Members: Mr K. I. Akogun, Dr. T.O. Oladele, Prof. Bolanle E. Arokoyo, Dr. Samiat O. Abubakre, Dr. M.K. Jean Marie Ubombo, Dr. A. Arikewuyo, and Mrs Bola R. Ahmed as Secretary.

Successive Vice Chancellors have sustained the dream — from Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, to the late Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, to Prof. Sulaiman Age Abdulkareem, and now to Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN. Under Prof. Egbewole”s leadership, the radio station was freed from the chokehold of power outages and diesel costs through the installation of solar power. As they say, “When the drummer changes the beat, the dancer must change the step.” The University changed the beat, and UNILORIN FM danced forward.

UNILORIN FM has also been a trailblazer in innovation. The station pioneered 24-hour broadcasting in the North Central zone, a bold move that set it apart from other campus radio stations at the time. In 2020, it became the first station in the region to be listed on Radio Garden, taking the voice of Unilorin to listeners across the globe. That global visibility earned mentions in major national newspapers and put the station on the world map.

Though a brief technical hitch later affected the online stream, the commitment of the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, ensured that the station was fully restored. With his support and funding, live streaming is now back and conspicuously placed on the University website under Campus Activities, giving listeners everywhere the opportunity to tune in online. We are glad to say that UNILORIN FM is now back live on Radio Garden, connecting our voice to listeners across the global village.

What truly sets UNILORIN FM apart is its tripod system: Train, Practice, and Certify. Students do not just learn about broadcasting; they live it under the tutelage of professionals, and they graduate with both a degree and real-world certification. Since 2009, over 5,000 student volunteers, SIWES students, corps members, trainees, and freelance artistes have passed through its doors. Many came with raw talent, but the station polished them until they shone.

That polishing is evident in the lives the station has touched. In academia and broadcasting, Dr. AbdulGafar Arikewuyo, one of the earliest volunteers and winner of the 2012 Nigeria Radio Awards for Campus News Bulletin Reader, is now a lecturer at UNILORIN and an Associate Lecturer in the UK. Dr. Sheik Ahmed Yahya has followed a similar path. Mr Femi Oparinde is now General Manager of Sobi FM Ilorin, while Jamiu Bello, a volunteer between 2012 and 2016, heads Programmes at Okin FM, Offa. Nneka Joy Chukwu (Nekky) moved from campus production to Cool FM Lagos, Wazobia FM, and later became Station Manager at Correct FM. Femi Oyesola gave eight solid years to the station before moving to a major national media outfit in Lagos, Ikorodu FM.

The station has also become a breeding ground for student leadership. Comrade Faji Tobiloba (Faaji), who served as the 35th elected President of the University of Ilorin Students’ Union in 2022/2023, started as a volunteer in the radio likewise the immediate past Students’ Union President, Mr Adelu Idris Ayomo, and the current SUG President, who has always featured on the Students’ Union programme titled “The Stewardship” on the station, also passed through the same microphone. Leadership, it seems, is contagious at 89.3.

Beyond campus politics, the alumni network stretches across Nigeria and beyond. Ogunsina Tobiloba Gbadeyanka, a volunteer from 2012 to 2016, was appointed Justice of the Peace by Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde. Idris Alooma, who started as a staff member, now leads the station as GM and holds 96 local and international awards. Mr Segun Alabi serves as Protocol Officer to the Vice-Chancellor. Tope Omoniyi is the University’s Social Media Manager and an NIPR award winner. Yemisi Olayemi is the University Desk Officer. Tijani Adewoyin is Chairman of NUJ Unilorin Chapel. Bimbo Durojaye and Oyakhire Ikhuemein (OYAS) are making waves in broadcasting. Ibukun Adesoye (Bybisasa) is a lawyer, OAP, compere, and voice-over artist in Lagos. Monoyo Edon (Noyo de Mayor), host of Talk O’Clock and NewsTrack, is now a media consultant and public affairs analyst in Delta State. Even Omololu Somuyiwa, former Big Brother Naija housemate, passed through the station and is now a CEO and brand ambassador.

A former volunteer at UNILORIN FM, Olusegun Oloyede Daniels, known as O’Daniels, moved to Lagos after graduation.The Nigerian broadcaster set a record for the longest radio talk show, broadcasting non-stop for 130 hours from June 26 to June 30, 2025, as reported by _The Nation Newspaper_. He is also recognized as the World’s Longest Presenter.
Mr Abubakar Imam, who once served as Head of Marketing, later became National Secretary of IEDPU and is now Deputy Editor of the Unilorin Bulletin
Mr Temitope Olawuyi — Karikatalk — is a broadcaster who also oversees the management of the station’s online streaming.
Mrs Temitope Folorunso, the Head of News, remains a great asset to the station.
We are pleased to share that Abdulhamid Fakoya is doing very well in the USA.

The reach of the leadership factory also extends to sister institutions. Mr Ishaq Olayiwola Babatunde, a product of the UNILORIN FM system, now serves as Personal Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, KWASU. Rukayat Temim Abdulkareem, another voice nurtured at 89.3, has gone on to become the signature voice of KWASU Radio. Their emergence confirms that the station is not only raising talent for itself, but for the entire media and public service ecosystem of Kwara, Nigeria, and globally.

Each of them will tell you the same thing: UNILORIN FM did not just give them a microphone, it gave them a mentality. “A child who is carried on the back does not know how far the journey is.” The station carried them, and now they are the ones carrying the name of the University to national and global stages.

Under the current leadership of Mr Idris Alooma, the station continues to function as more than a broadcaster. It is a leadership factory. It takes in students, corps members, and young talents, subjects them to discipline, mentorship, and exposure, and releases them as professionals, scholars, and public figures. That is why today, the voice of UNILORIN FM resonates far beyond Ilorin.