Over 16,000 students to graduate as UNILAG holds 56th convocation

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) will graduate more than 16,000 students during its 56th convocation ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, has announced.

Speaking at a convocation press briefing on Wednesday, Ogunsola disclosed that a total of 16,506 students would be awarded degrees and diplomas. Of this number, 10,584 students will receive first degrees and diplomas, 5,782 will be conferred with postgraduate degrees, while 140 will graduate from the UNILAG Business School.

She said 1,211 students, representing 7.3 per cent of the graduating class, earned first-class degrees and distinctions. A total of 4,543 students graduated with second-class upper division, 3,910 with second-class lower division, while 1,025 obtained third-class degrees. In addition, 249 students graduated with unclassified degrees, and 69 undergraduates recorded pass grades.

In the postgraduate category, the vice-chancellor noted that 41 out of 479 postgraduate diploma students earned distinctions. She added that 429 distinctions were recorded among 5,184 master’s degree graduates. According to her, 119 students earned distinctions in the Master of Philosophy programme, 32 distinctions were recorded among 412 Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates, while 28 distinctions were awarded in the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) category.

Ogunsola also announced the best graduating students across faculties. Mr Benedict Umeozo of the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, emerged as the overall best graduating student in the Humanities with a perfect CGPA of 5.0. Deborah Onotun from the Faculty of Architecture was named the best graduating student in Science with a CGPA of 4.91. The Overall Best PhD Thesis Award went to Paruno Egbuno, who earned his doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The vice-chancellor said the convocation activities would commence on Friday, January 16, with a Juma’at service at the university’s Central Mosque.

She explained that events would resume on Monday, January 19, with the unveiling of the UNILAG Multimedia Library Studio, a World Bank–funded Centre of Excellence facility designed to support digital documentation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage. This will be followed by an exhibition of innovative and creative works by staff and students at the Senate Car Park.

Also scheduled for the day is the convocation lecture titled “Maximising Nigeria’s Demographic Dividend through Urgent Education Reform for Global Competitiveness in the 21st Century,” to be delivered by Mr Orondaam Otto, Founder of Slum to School Africa, at the J.F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium. The lecture will be chaired by Prof. Rahman Bello, former Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG and President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering.

Ogunsola said the university would confer first degrees, diplomas, certificates and prizes on January 20 to graduates from several faculties, including Arts, Architecture, Education, Social Sciences, and Environmental Sciences, among others. Degree awards for graduates of the College of Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management Sciences, Pharmacy and the Distance Learning Institute will follow on January 21.

According to her, January 22 will be devoted to the award of postgraduate diplomas, master’s and doctoral degrees, including DBA and Executive MBA, to graduates of the School of Postgraduate Studies and the UNILAG Business School.

She added that the convocation would also feature special recognitions, including the appointment of two retired academics as emeritus professors. Prof. Akinsanya Oshibogun will be honoured with the title of Distinguished Professor, while gold medals will be presented to Prof. Ayoka Olushakin, a Professor of Counselling Psychology, and Dr Taiwo Ipaye, Director of the Office of Advancement and former UNILAG Registrar, in recognition of their outstanding service to the university and the nation.