By Demola Akinyemi Ilorin

The Acting Director General/Chief Executive of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Mr Ayorinde Ezekiel, has urged the Degree matriculating students of the labour institute to be hardworking in their academic pursuits so as to realise their aspirations for a better life afterwards.

Ayorinde counselled the sixteen students on Wednesday during the matriculation ceremony of the 2023/2024 session of B.Sc in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management (Affiliated to the University of Ilorin) .

“You all represent the future aspirations of this great country to become the leading black nation and reference point among the comity of nations for industrial and economic development,”he added .

He also noted that the labour institute,”apart from providing graduates of the program the needed opportunity to contribute their quotas as future workers,the program also aimed to provide needed higher quality manpower with sound grasp and understanding of the theories underpinning trade unionism and industrial relations as veritable instruments for nation building.”

For his part,Head of Academics and Distance Learning Program Department of MINILS,Dr Adamadu Silvanus Simon explained that,”this new strategic direction of the institute comes with prospects of the institute with the labour education stakeholders to engage the fresh students, offering them rare opportunities to understand emerging concepts, theories and practices with bearings on people management in the new world of work.”

Adamadu challenged the students,” to seize the opportunity of their studentship in this foremost and premier labour institute named after Pa Michael Imoudu, Nigeria’s labour leader numero Uno and veteran of workers struggle for decent work to achieve great excellence in all their future endeavours.”

The Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin,Prof Wahab Olasupo Egbewole SAN who was represented at the event by Prof Yahaya Imam noted that the university didn’t take the partnership for granted,and urged the students to see themselves as students of the institution.”You are only on MINILS compound, you’re students of university of Ilorin.” he stressed.

Egbewole admonished the students to be very hardworking, and shun any acts of malpractice, like sagging,and other forms of indecent dressings.

“The Vice Chancellor will be be visiting you,and I will also be coming here,so ensure you abide by the rules and regulations that will make you to graduate.You can also strive to be among our scholars by achieving the topmost grade in this program.

“Apart from showcasing our scholars during our programs as encouragement to other students,other advantages are free accomodation,and no school fees payment among others.” the Vice Chancellor said.