Redeemer’s University graduates 2,471, unveils 10 new programmes at 18th Convocation
By Isa Isawade
Redeemer’s University, Ede, will graduate a total of 2,471 students at its 18th convocation ceremonies holding from Thursday, 8 October, to Friday, 9 October 2026, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, announced at a pre-convocation press conference on Monday.
Addressing journalists at the university, Professor Akindele said 2,030 students will receive bachelor’s degrees, while 441 will be awarded postgraduate degrees. Of the undergraduate figure, 200 students, representing 10.5 per cent made First Class honours, while 937, or 49.2 per cent, earned Second Class Upper Division. A total of 629 graduated with Second Class Lower Division, 126 with Third Class, and 11 with a Pass degree.
The graduating class has been named the Christ Ambassadors Set. “It is a name that carries responsibility,” the Vice-Chancellor said. “We expect these young people to take their knowledge into the world with honesty, competence, and compassion.”
New Programmes Approved
Professor Akindele disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved ten new full-time undergraduate programmes for commencement in the 2026/2027 academic session. They are Broadcasting, Public Relations, Advertising, Information and Media Studies, Journalism and Media Studies, Film Production, Criminology and Security Studies, Biotechnology, Software Engineering, and Information Systems.
He said the approval followed the NUC’s resource verification exercise, adding that the expansion carries an obligation. “Students who enrol must find capable teachers, appropriate facilities, and a curriculum that prepares them for the realities of their chosen fields,” he stated.
The university, he added, has also received NUC approval to commence Pharmacy, Medicine and Surgery, and Dentistry, and is awaiting the approval of the relevant professional bodies before take-off. The Redeemer’s Health Village at Redemption City will serve as the teaching hospital.
100% Pass Rate
The Vice-Chancellor reported that the university’s physiotherapy and nursing students have maintained a 100 per cent pass rate in all external council examinations for several years, as have its pharmacy students. Some accounting students have also qualified as chartered accountants while still undergraduates.
At the May 2023 diet of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) examinations, eight students qualified as chartered accountants. Five of them will receive their BSc Accounting degrees at this convocation, while the remaining three are still undergraduates — one of whom was only in 200 level when she qualified.
“I congratulate the students and their teachers. Professional training asks a great deal of both,” Professor Akindele said.
International Recognition
He announced that the university’s Institute of Genomics and Global Health, led by Professor Christian Happi, received a grant from the Mastercard Foundation to train scholars from across Africa for short courses, MSc, and PhD degrees in genomics. Redeemer’s University is the only Nigerian university to receive the mandate. Last year, the university was also selected as one of the few private universities to provide postgraduate training to TETFund scholars.
Entrepreneurship And Innovation
On entrepreneurship, the Vice-Chancellor said the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development Studies organised an exhibition and trade fair on 14 May 2026, attended by representatives of the Bank of Industry, SMEDAN, the Corporate Affairs Commission, and the Osun State Ministry of Commerce. Students displayed skills ranging from farming, baking, and fashion to web development and digital marketing.
He explained that the revised curriculum provides vocational training from 100 level through 400 level, with certification on completion, so that students graduate with both an academic qualification and an entrepreneurship certificate.
Research, Peace, And Host Community
Professor Akindele said the university’s research strength in genomics, global health, water, and environmental science was reflected in its 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings performance. On 21 September, the Adeboye Institute of Peace and Good Governance, with the Directorate of International Relations and Protocol, marked the International Day of Peace with a youth roundtable on dialogue and social cohesion.
He also announced full scholarships for six Ede indigenes, a practice the university has sustained for more than a decade, and thanked the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, and the people of Ede for their goodwill.
Convocation Programme
The convocation activities began on Friday, 2 October, with a meeting between graduating students and the Visitor, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, after the Holy Ghost service at Redemption City, where the students were anointed. A thanksgiving service held on Sunday, 4 October.
On Tuesday, 6 October, the awards and recognition ceremony will hold at 10:00 a.m. in the university auditorium. The convocation lecture holds on Wednesday, 7 October at 11:00 a.m., followed by the convocation play at BOJA Hall at 7:30 p.m., with a second performance the following night.
The first day of the convocation proper, Thursday, 8 October, will cover the faculties of Basic Medical Sciences, Built Environment Studies, Computing and Digital Technologies, Engineering and Technology, Management Sciences, and Natural Sciences. Two new projects — the female hostel for the Directorate of Educational Services and Training (DEST) and the new entrepreneurship centre — will be commissioned at 8:30 a.m. that day.
The second day, Friday, 9 October, will cover the faculties of Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences, together with affiliate institutions and the College of Postgraduate Studies.
Message To Graduate
Addressing the graduands, Professor Akindele said: “You have worked towards this moment for years. Enjoy it. Thank the people who helped you reach it. Then face the next stage with an open mind. Ask questions, accept corrections, do your work carefully. If you give your word, keep it. When you make a mistake, take responsibility and put it right.”
He thanked the Visitor, Pastor E. A. Adeboye; the Board of Trustees; the Governing Council; parents; academic and non-academic staff; the ceremonial committee led by Professor Adewale Adewuyi; alumni; partners; and the media.