To effectively *’benchmark’* and appreciate the full value, brand image, and import of the recent Award given by the University of Ibadan [ UI ] Alumni Association to my childhood friend, the trained statistician, Hon Pascal Adigwe recently, hence place it in it’s proper perspective empirically, one needs to adopt the global best standard ratings of this [ UI ] amongst other universities in Nigeria, Africa, and globally.
May I therefore attempt to be ‘scientific’ and ’empirical’ in assessing the ‘frontline’ status of the great university of Ibadan in the global and national stage for about the last ten years based on the records from leading organisations like the Times higher education world university ranking; Quacquarelli Symonds [ QS ] a higher education analyst; the Webometrics ranking; the US News and World report, etc.
All these bodies, and many more, ranks UI as number one university in Nigeria, [ one of the very best] consistently, while making sustainably the best ten universities in Africa, and hovering between 800/1000 in one account and between 1000/1200 best university globally. Some bodies few years back even ranked UI 360 and 600 respectively globally.
Thus the products, Alumni’s of university of Ibadan are not only national icons but erudite success ‘fellows’ in their various callings globally whose contributions to the intellectual human capital endowment of Nigeria, nay the world is huge.
From the great Prof Kenneth Dike, to the mathematical genius Prof Alele Williams, to the great literary giant Prof Chinua Achebe and the Nobel Laurette, Prof Wole Soyinka; from the poets Prof JP Clark to Okigbo, etc; the contributions of UI Alumni members are unquantifiable.
Albeit, from this perspective, the recent Award of excellence given by the UI Alumni Association is based on their empirical assessment of the enviable contributions Hon Pascal has made not only in the business world but equally in public service.
May I congratulate him for this laudable Award, and equally reminds him to utilize his goodwill, contacts, network and energy to mobilize both human and material resources to see to the betterment of his great UI, and other schools that mentored him to this shinning star as recognised by UI Alumni.
Jikebe Ezigbo Onyim Paskilo Lord Michael.
*’Ihunaihu Ka wa na Aau okea anu’*
Philip Elueme
Dec 4, 2025
