A total of 561 final-year students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, will be graduating with first-class honours and distinctions in various disciplines at this year’s convocation ceremony (55th edition) scheduled for next week, from Monday, 13th January to Friday, 17th January.
Interestingly, two of them, Damilare Haroun Adebakin and Samuel Akinade Badekale, both males and from the same Department of Cell Biology & Genetics, Faculty of Science, with a perfect score of 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), will be graduating as the overall best of the set.
The number is part of the total 16,409 students (for the 2023/2024 academic session) across levels—diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate studies—who made the graduation list, with others scoring lower grades.
While Olamide Idris Emida, who studied Accounting and has a CGPA of 4.95 out of 5.0, will be graduating as the overall best in the humanities, Adetoun Alaba Akitoye, who studied Chemistry, emerged as the overall best in the doctoral degree class, and Eniola Niniola Ladipo has the overall best PhD thesis in the humanities.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, made the disclosure on Wednesday at a pre-convocation press conference held at the university’s Senate Chamber, and other top management staff of the university were in attendance.
She mentioned that the CEO of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Dr Tayo Aduloju, will deliver the convocation lecture, titled “Universities as Hubs for Development and Wealth Creation, on Monday at noon, while Mr. Babatunde Fashola, former Governor of Lagos State and former Minister of Works, will chair the event, which will be held at the main auditorium of the university.
She added that the university will inaugurate three projects earlier that day: the Centre for Herbal Medicine, Drug Recovery & Development, Biomedical Toxicology, Regulatory Science and Pharmacovigilance Analytical Laboratory (ACEDHARS Building); a 120-bed space Moremi Hall extension; and the new ultra-modern Learning Common Room. The pro-chancellor of the university, Chief Wole Olanipekun, will perform the inauguration.
Two distinguished professors who have retired from the service of the university—Babajide Alo (of the Department of Chemistry) and Olukayode Amund (Department of Microbiology)—will be conferred with emeritus professorship at the event, while Professor Victor Ariole, of the Department of European Languages, will go home with a Gold Medal award for his ongoing contributions to the university and the country at large.
Similarly, two distinguished Nigerians—Mr. Fola Adeola, co-founder of Guarantee Trust Bank Plc, and Mr Kolawole Adesina, GMD, Sahara Power Group—will be conferred with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.), also during the event.
Mrs Ogunsola disclosed that the ceremonies will be held in two sessions—morning and afternoon—each day because of the crowd expected to grace the occasion.
Giving further statistics of the graduands, the Vice-Chancellor said out of the total graduands, 9,684 will be awarded first degrees in various disciplines, while 5,933, 213, and 513 will be conferred with master’s and doctoral degrees and postgraduate diplomas, respectively, and the remaining 66 are from the University Business School.
Ogunsola, a professor of medicine and the 13th Vice-Chancellor of the institution, commended members of the Senate, staff, and all stakeholders in the university for their respective commitment to ‘excellence despite the continued economic and social challenges that have characterised the country in the last one year.”
She declared that all the graduating students had been thoroughly trained, just like those before them, and that she believed they will excel in their chosen fields.
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