By our correspondent
The University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University is set to graduate over 12,000 undergraduates with a total of 77 First Class students for its 29th Convocation (2022/2023 set) and 30th Convocation (2023/2024 set).
The University will also confer Honorary Doctorate Degrees (Honoris Causa) on distinguished Nigerians, including Professor Yusuff Olaolu Ali, SAN, Mr Paul Odili and Mr Emmanuel Ayuba Iza, in recognition of their contributions to their various fields of endeavours and humanity.
At the Pre-Convocation Press Conference in the Main Campus of the University, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi gave the breakdown of total graduating students of the institution.
According to him, ‘Overall, a total of 12,624 students will graduate.For the 29th Convocation (2022/2023 set), the breakdown is as follows:• First Class: 48• Second Class Upper: 2,048• Second Class Lower: 4,418• Third Class: 644Total: 7,158For the 30th Convocation (2023/2024 set), the breakdown is as follows:• First Class: 29• Second Class Upper: 1,395• Second Class Lower: 3,091• Third Class: 951Total: 5,466’, he said.
While expressing confidence in the capacity and quality of graduates produced by the institution, Prof. Fawehinmi was optimism that labour market will witness tremendous change as products of the university join the sector.
He added that automatic employment will be offered to best graduating students as best international practices.
‘We are indeed very proud of our graduands, whom we have trained not only in knowledge and skills but also in character.
‘As part of our commitment to the development and advancement our graduate, the overall best graduating students of both will be given automatic employment in the university to further their career.
‘We remain committed to developing the University in ways that will enable it to realise its aspiration of becoming a 21st century world-class institution’, VC said.
Prof. Fawehinmi also expressed hope that the university will in no distance time admit up to 50,000 students as against current 40,000 students, at the end of ongoing expansion at institution Manin Campus.
‘It was envisioned as a comprehensive institution that combines conventional and distance learning models. With nearly 40,000 students currently enrolled and a projected enrolment of 50,000 by 2030, there is a sense in which we can tell Nigerians that this federal university needs massive expansion of infrastructure to become the University of our dreams, a modern university of first choice, indeed’.
‘With our strategic location in the country, and as the only conventional public university in the Federal Capital Territory, much is expected of us by our stakeholders’, he said.
VC also talked about leadership tussle that has retarded the university’s growth in the recent times, expressing joy that the such bitter experience is now over.
He said, ‘the University was faced with leadership and administrative turbulence, marked by tension, disunity, rancour and mudslinging, all of which were unwholesome for our image. The fact that we had three Acting Vice-Chancellors within a short period explains this crisis.We are glad that now, the storm is over.
‘We would like to thank the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, an organised and quiet operator, and the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, for working with the Visitor to stabilise this University.We also commend the Governing Council and Management for working peacefully with ASUU’.
‘The Council and Management have resolved the long-standing issue of stagnation among academic staff’, he concluded.
The National Glimpse reports that convocation ceremony which started last week Friday with Jumat prayer will reach its climax with Lectures on Thursday, graduation of undergraduates on Friday 17th and Post graduate convocation will hold on Saturday 18th of April, 2026.