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Ondo varsity holds 13th convocation,63 clears with first class
The Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Prof. Olugbenga Ige, announced on Monday that 63 students will be graduating with First Class honours during the university’s 13th convocation ceremony. This announcement was made during a press briefing at the institution’s Business School in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.
Prof. Ige revealed that a total of 6,837 students from the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions would be graduating, including 657 postgraduate students, among whom 46 will receive Ph.D. degrees.
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The VC stated, “Out of the 6,182 undergraduate graduates, 62 achieved First Class Honours, reflecting the institution’s commitment to academic excellence. Additionally, 1,941 students graduated with Second Class Honours (Upper Division), 3,486 with Second Class Honours (Lower Division), 684 with Third Class Honours, and eight students with Pass degrees.
The university will also award honorary degrees to three distinguished Nigerians for their exceptional contributions: His Excellency Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa (Doctor of Public Administration, Honoris Causa); Hon. Adegboyega Adeyemi Adefarati (Doctor of Political Science, Honoris Causa); and Mr. Hazmat Ayodele Subair (Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa).”
Prof. Ige highlighted that this year’s convocation is especially significant as it coincides with AAUA’s 25th anniversary, marked by the groundbreaking of a multi-million-naira Hall of Residence Project.
He outlined the various events planned for the convocation, including research exhibitions and a friendly football match on Tuesday; the Anniversary Lecture by Dr. Kayode Ajulo, SAN, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, on Wednesday; and the AAUA at 25 Awards Ceremony on the same day.
Despite economic challenges and instability in higher education in Nigeria, Prof. Ige said AAUA has persevered, addressing emerging issues, providing strong leadership, supporting intellectual development, creating impactful programs, and fostering a learning and service-oriented environment.
He added that over the past year, AAUA has expanded its academic offerings with the creation of two new faculties: the Faculty of Allied and Health Sciences and the Faculty of Computing. These faculties now offer programs in Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health, Cyber Security, Data Science, Software Engineering, ICT, and Information Systems. Additionally, the Faculty of Agriculture has introduced Food Science and Technology to its existing programs.
Notably, Prof. Ige shared that eight AAUA academics were ranked among the top 2% of global scientists in the 2024 Stanford-Elsevier ranking, showcasing the high quality of education and mentorship at the university. He also mentioned that AAUA academics have secured competitive research grants totaling over half a billion naira, demonstrating their exceptional research capabilities.
