Emmanuel OchayiThe University of Lagos (UNILAG) is set to graduate 17,464 students at its 54th convocation as 379 students bagged first class.
In a pre-convocation press conference held at the University on Wednesday, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, announced the forthcoming 54th Convocation Ceremonies, scheduled to take place from Monday, January 15 to Friday, January 19, 2024.
The events lined up for this year’s convocation ceremony include the award of first-degree certificates to 10,578 graduates and 6,886 postgraduate degrees. Among those in the first-degree category are 340 first-class honors, demonstrating outstanding academic excellence.
Notably, David Oluwatomiwa AKANMU emerged as the overall best-graduating student with a perfect score of 5.00 in the faculty of Engineering, while Ibrahim Abiodun QUADRI achieved a CGPA of 4.94, claiming the best graduating student title in the Humanities. Of the postgraduates, 31 are international students, marking a historical moment for the University of Lagos.
“Of those with first degrees, 340 are first class with 97 coming from Management Sciences, followed by Science with 57 and Engineering 47. From the Faculties of Pharmacy, Basic Medical Sciences and Clinical Sciences, there were 39 distinctions 24 of which, were from the Faculty of Pharmacy.
“3,374 graduated with Second class upper, 4,547 graduated with Second class lower and 1,832 with 3rd class. 188 graduated with a pass and 250 had unclassified degrees from Pharmacy, Basic and Clinical Sciences,” said the Vice Chancellor.
The convocation activities include a special Jumat service at the University of Lagos Central Mosque, an exhibition showcasing student and faculty inventions, and the highly anticipated Convocation Lecture titled “Decolonizing African Higher Education for Transformational Development,” to be delivered by Professor Toyin Falola of the University of Texas at Austin.
One of the focal points of the convocation will be the conferment of Honorary Doctorate degrees on three distinguished individuals: Professor Toyin Falola, Professor Phyllis Kanki, and Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega. The Vice Chancellor highlighted their monumental contributions to scholarship and societal development across various fields, underscoring their global impact.
She said: “This year we are awarding degrees to three such persons two men and a woman. Prof. Toyin Falola, of the University of Texas at Austin – a globally acclaimed influential humanities scholar whose wide-ranging scholarship has placed him at the zenith of the global academy.
“Prof. Phyllis Kanki, a professor of Immunology at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in Boston through her work in West Africa was the first person to isolate HIV2 which causes a milder form of AIDS that was more commonly found in West Africa and Professor Attahiru Jega, a Professor of Political Science, a sound intellectual, an astute administrator with a strong sense of ethics who revolutionised Nigeria’s electoral process.”
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The Vice Chancellor also highlighted the university’s significant strides in research, collaborations, and infrastructure development, showcasing a commitment to excellence and growth despite prevailing challenges.
Notable accomplishments included securing substantial grant income, international collaborations through conferences, and the establishment of various innovative projects and programs.
Ogunsola extended appreciation to the university’s stakeholders and the press for their support and commitment while inviting all to join in celebrating the accomplishments of the graduates during the convocation ceremonies.
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