Unilorin Unveils ₦500m JAMB-Funded International Hostel

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commissioned the NATAP-M Awards International Hostel, a modern facility built by the University of Ilorin from the ₦500 million prize it won as the overall best institution in the 2022/2023 NATAP-M Awards.

The hostel, officially named the “JAMB Merit Awards International Hostel,” represents the university’s commitment to channeling reward funds into projects that directly benefit students.

The NATAP-M (National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit) Award, introduced in 2018, promotes transparency, healthy competition, and fairness in Nigeria’s admission system. It rewards institutions that strictly follow JAMB’s admission policies— including early completion of admissions, proper use of CAPS, prompt submission of matriculation lists, adherence to approved admission ratios, gender balance, and inclusion of candidates across regions and from abroad.

During the commissioning, JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede revealed that becoming Registrar was never an ambition. “I never knew, I never dreamt of it. In fact, no sane person would want to be a Registrar after being a Vice-Chancellor,” he joked, drawing laughter from the audience.

He explained that the award initiative began from a modest ₦25 million prize and has grown into the annual ₦500 million reward given today. Oloyede urged the university to use the hostel responsibly for the advancement of students and humanity.

Guest of honour, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, praised JAMB for the innovation and applauded Unilorin for turning the award into a tangible, lasting asset. He encouraged the institution to keep up the standards that earned it national recognition.

The ceremony also featured the Pro-Chancellor, Surv. Abiodun Aluko; the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole; and several dignitaries present as part of activities marking Unilorin’s 50th anniversary.