Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye is set to confer Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) on 117 graduands at the ongoing 35th Convocation Ceremonies of the institution.
Notable among the graduands is a female judge of the Ogun State High Court, Hon. Justice Olufunke Odubanjo, who, alongside another senior officer at the state Ministry of Justice, Dr. Adesanya Adebayo, are the first PhD graduates produced from the institution’s Faculty of Law.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, who disclosed this on Thursday during the conferment of Bachelor Degrees on graduating students across six Faculties of the University, added that a total of 256 graduands would also be awarded Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s Degrees at the event.
Beyond the postgraduate graduands, he explained that a total of 5,808 students at the undergraduate level will convoke for the 2024/2025 academic session.
“The breakdown shows that there are 147 graduands that earned First Class; a total number of 2,051 in Second Class Upper Division; 2,927 in Second Class Lower Division, while 571 others obtained Third Class Degree. A total of 26 graduands had Pass degree, with 86 others uncategorised,” he stated.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, OOU has continued to record remarkable milestones strengthening its standing as a leading state-owned university in Nigeria.
Prof. Agboola said, “The University currently ranks 16th in the latest Webometric Ranking conducted for a total of 321 Universities in Nigeria based on their performance in academic visibility, research output, and web presence.”
“Among the state universities that featured in the ranking, OOU came 2nd after LAUTECH. This lend credence to our commitment to continually improving our electronic/internet infrastructure, thereby enhancing global visibility.”
The Vice-Chancellor explained that, till date, OOU has sustained hundred percent accreditation of its programmes, noting that the feat remained a clear indication of the institution’s resolve to continually improve on the quality of education “thus safeguarding the recognition and respect of our graduates both nationally and internationally.”
“Our achievements so far have meaningfully advanced our mantra of education, employability, and entrepreneurship. We remain committed to working diligently toward the attainment of a 21st-century citadel of higher learning status, as espoused when the current University administration came on board,” he declared.
Prof. Agboola lauded the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) by the Federal Government, emphasising that the programme had saved a lot of indigent students from dropping out of school.
“Many of OOU students, in their thousands, have benefitted from this laudable scheme, for both tuition and monthly upkeep. On their behalf, I say a big thank you to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.
The Vice-Chancellor also expressed gratitude to the Visitor to the University and Governor of Ogun State, Prince (Dr.) Dapo Abiodun, CON, for his consistent and unwavering support to the institution since assumption of office.
On Thursday, 29th January, congregation for the award of First Degrees on graduating students across six Faculties was held. The Faculties include Arts, Basic Medical Sciences, Education, Law, Pharmacy and Social Sciences.
However, on Friday, 30th January, seven Faculties had their students conferred with the award of Bachelor Degrees. These include the Faculties of Administration and Management Science, Agricultural Management and Rural Development, Agricultural Production and Renewable Resources, Clinical Sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Science.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, will on Saturday deliver the 35th Convocation Lecture of OOU, marking the grand finale of the graduation ceremony.
The theme of the Convocation Lecture is: “Repositioning Nigerian Universities as Innovation Hubs for Entrepreneurship and National Development.”
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the theme reflects the University’s commitment to advancing a knowledge-driven economy anchored on innovation, digital transformation and sustainable development, which the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria exemplifies.
He further noted that the minister’s leadership in Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem, along with his national and international prominence in digital policy, entrepreneurship advancement, and human capital development, uniquely positions him to offer profound insights on the critical subject.
The event, the Vice-Chancellor stated, will also witness the conferment of PhD and Master’s Degrees as well as Postgraduate Diplomas on a total of 373 postgraduate graduands.
