240 students bag first class as Nigerian university holds 36th convocation
The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) will, on Friday, 14 November, celebrate 240 students graduating with first-class honours in the 2024/2025 academic session.
The university Vice-Chancellor, Adenike Oladiji, a professor, said a total of 2,747 students will be awarded the Bachelor’s degree during the 36th convocation next week.
The vice-chancellor said 1,479 will be graduating with Second Class Upper, 912 with Second Class Lower and 116 with Third Class.
Ms Oladiji disclosed this in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES.
Ms Oladiji said 867 other students will be awarded advanced degrees, including Postgraduate Diploma (PGD), Master’s of Technology (MTech) and Doctorates (PhD) on Saturday, 15 November.
She explained that 86 students are to receive PGD, 627 for MTech, and 154 for PhDs.
Best Graduating Student
According to the vice-chancellor, Akindunbi Isaac of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department emerged as the Best Graduating student with a 4.98/5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).
During the ceremony, Mr Isaac, the best graduating student, will give the valedictory speech on behalf of his set.
Convocation lecture, VC’s address
The vice-chancellor noted that a convocation lecture titled “Strategies and Tactics for Solving Skills Challenges in Nigeria: The Roles of Government, Institutions and the Youth,” will be delivered by Adetokunbo Kayode, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Mr Kayode is a former Attorney General, Minister of Justice, and former Minister of Labour.
Ms Oladiji will also be presenting an address titled “FUTA at the next level”. In it, she will look at the university’s trajectory in the last three years.
“FUTA has been successfully repositioned for a sustainable future,” she said.
“This administration has laid a foundation built on academic excellence, financial sustainability, global competitiveness, and inclusive growth. It is a future that seeks to empower staff, inspire students, strengthen communities, and further put Nigeria on the global map of innovation and research.”
Under her watch, Ms Oladiji added that FUTA has strengthened its global presence through active research collaborations and international exchanges.
She said researchers from the university undertook study and research visits to Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany, enhancing their expertise and fostering cross-border knowledge sharing.
She noted that FUTA has a partnership with industries, related research institutions, and relevant organisations like Green Energy International Limited and LekOil Joint Venture (JV).
The collaboration, carried out under the aegis of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), aims to advance hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in the Otakikpo Field, Niger Delta.
Ms Oladij said the university’s staff serve as lead researchers in the five-year-long project.
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She also commended the Bola Tinubu-led federal government for approving a teaching hospital for the University to train students in medical and allied fields, as well as granting a N1 billion special intervention for Agricultural commercial farming.
She said the interventions have raised the bar for the institution to train people in the medical field and also tackle hunger through mass production of food to enhance food security, in addition to helping students.