UNIOSUN unveils week-long ceremony, new chancellor, massive infrastructure, as VC Adebooye parades scorecard
By Isa Isawade
Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has unveiled a week-long ceremony where a total of 4,357 degrees, diplomas and higher degrees will be conferred on its graduating students at its 16th Convocation Ceremonies holding from Friday, 18th September to Thursday, 24th September 2026.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, announced during the pre-convocation press conference of the University on Saturday.
Addressing journalists at the press conference held at the Multipurpose Hall, Main Campus, Osogbo, to herald the week-long celebrations, Professor Adebooye described the convocation as “not merely a ceremony for the conferment of degrees and diplomas, but an opportunity to celebrate scholarship, resilience, innovation, character and the transformative power of education.”
Giving the breakdown of graduands, the Vice-Chancellor disclosed that 3,845 students will receive first degrees, nine will earn Postgraduate Diplomas, 400 will be awarded Master’s degrees, while 103 will bag Doctoral degrees.
On the academic performance of the first-degree graduands, he said 88 students earned First-Class Honours, 1,509 graduated in the Second-Class (Upper Division), 1,946 in the Second-Class (Lower Division), 220 in the Third-Class category, while three obtained Pass degrees.
“Behind these numbers are thousands of individual stories of determination, sacrifice and achievements,” Professor Adebooye said, congratulating the graduands, their parents, guardians and sponsors, as well as the teaching and non-teaching staff whose dedication, he said, contributed significantly to the achievements.
HISTORY MADE AS FIRST SET OF MEDICAL DOCTORS GRADUATE
The Vice-Chancellor announced with pride that the university would produce its first set of medical doctors at the convocation, describing it as a milestone.
He said the pioneer students of the Bachelor of Medicine; Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme successfully completed their course of study after sailing through all required statutory and professional accreditation requirements.
“All of them, 90 in number, were inducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria on 12th August, 2026, and shall be presented their degrees on Wednesday, 23rd September, 2026,” he stated.
Similarly, the university will graduate its pioneer students in 17 new programmes, including Cyber Security, Information Systems, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Criminology and Security Studies, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, International Relations and Diplomacy, Psychology, Demography and Social Statistics, Cooperative and Rural Development, Public Administration, Library and Information Science, Biotechnology, Business Education, Environmental Education, Adult Education and Social Work.
“These pioneer students were admitted in my first year as Vice-Chancellor,” he noted.
INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION YIELDS MASSIVE RESULTS
Spotlighting the university’s aggressive infrastructure drive, Professor Adebooye listed landmark projects completed and commissioned to include an ultra-modern FIFA-standard Sports Complex, a 3-in-1 Science Laboratory Complex, the Governor Ademola Adeleke Lecture Theatre and a 900-capacity Lecture Theatre, all on the Osogbo Campus.
Others, according to him, are a 36-unit Academic Office Complex on the Okuku Campus, a Pit Theatre in Ikire Campus, a 600-capacity auditorium in Ikire Campus, a 1,300-capacity auditorium in Osogbo Campus, and 600-capacity auditoriums in Okuku and Ifetedo campuses respectively.
He added that foundation-laying and full commencement of construction work had been carried out for an ICT Resource Centre, Computer and Information Technology Laboratories and an Academic Office Complex, all in Osogbo, as well as an Academic Building in Ipetu-Ijesa Campus, and 250-capacity auditoriums in Ejigbo and Ifetedo campuses.
The Vice-Chancellor also announced the reshuffling of the apex leadership of the university by the Executive Governor and Visitor, with the appointment of Mrs. Victoria Adunola Samson, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BOVAS Group, as the new Chancellor.
She replaces Apostle Folorunso Alakija, whose two-term tenure as Chancellor expired in March 2026.
He added that the Governing Council was reconstituted on 31st August, 2026.
PROFESSIONAL INDUCTIONS, CONVOCATION LECTURE, VIRTUAL ACCESS
Professor Adebooye outlined the activities lined up for the week, which began on Friday, 18th September with the Alumni Day Lecture, Orientation Programme and Award of Alumni Scholarships at the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Auditorium, followed by a Special Jumat Service at the University Mosque and a Convocation Play titled Delilah’s Advocate, written by Leke Ogunfeyimi and directed by Yemi Atanda.
On Sunday, 20th September, a Special Thanksgiving Service will hold at the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Auditorium at 9:00 a.m., while Monday, 21st September will feature professional induction ceremonies by the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria, the Nigeria Institute of Building, the Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
The formal convocation ceremonies begin on Tuesday, 22nd September with the presentation of degrees and awards of prizes for the College of Humanities and Culture and the College of Education from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, followed by the College of Management and Social Sciences and College of Law from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
At 3:30 p.m. same day, the Vice-Chancellor will host all First-Class graduates to a special dinner tagged “Meet the Vice-Chancellor,” with industrialists and employers of labour invited to connect the graduands with opportunities in the labour market.
On Wednesday, 23rd September, graduands of the College of Agriculture and College of Health Sciences will receive their degrees from 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., while those of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology will take their turn from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The grand finale on Thursday, 24th September will feature the Convocation Lecture titled “Coping with Double Oversight: Harmonizing the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Professional Bodies for Sustainable University System,” to be delivered by Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, FAS, Chairman of the Governing Board of the NUC.
The Postgraduate Convocation and award of PGD, M.Sc., M.A., MBA and Ph.D. degrees follows at 12:00 noon, while the formal close of the 16th Convocation is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
The Vice-Chancellor announced that the ceremonies will be accessible virtually via Zoom (Meeting ID: 826 7045 3961; Passcode: 223742) and streamed live on the university’s YouTube channel, @UniosunTV/Live, for alumni, parents and members of the public unable to attend physically.
Welcoming journalists earlier, Professor Adebooye described the media as “an indispensable partner in communicating our achievements, aspirations and contributions to society,” thanking the press for its total support over the years and pledging continued partnership.
He reiterated the university’s commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible public engagement, adding that UNIOSUN would continue to evolve as an institution committed to academic excellence, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, community development and responsible citizenship.
“Our objective is clear: to produce graduates who can compete effectively anywhere in the world while remaining sufficiently equipped to contribute to the development of their communities and Nigeria,” he said, noting that the university was positioning itself to respond to the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the emerging knowledge economy.
He congratulated all graduands and their families on behalf of the Governing Council, Senate, Management, staff and students of the university, and invited the media and the public to participate fully in the 16th Convocation Ceremonies.
When asked whether UNIOSUN wasn’t facing any challenges as he didn’t list any, the renowned professor of Plant Physiology and Food Chemistry, said, “Even the most prosperous universities in the world, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Washington University of Manitoba, German universities that are being directly funded by industries in Germany, have challenges. One thing we have decided to do in this university is to put our destiny in our hands, and by that, what do I mean? We try not to sit and be complaining. We try not to hide our problems, we try to work on solutions, and this is a principle of survival. You don’t hide on what the challenges are, you try to focus on the solutions, and that’s what you have seen, as development in this university.”
According to him, the second reason he didn’t list any challenge was because the government, both at the state and federal levels promptly addressed the school’s challenges any time he went to present any arisen ones.
To the question of practicability of the knowledge being imparted in the institution’s students, Prof Adebooye explained:
“Yes, we did something in this university recently, when AI came out two years ago, we immediately changed our gear, and we have imbibed AI into all the curriculum. Artificial intelligence is now a component of undergraduate and post graduate courses in this university. And before then, especially those ones who are graduating, what are we going to do with them? One thing we have done is to, is to immerse them into what we call entrepreneurship studies. We are not trying to produce bakers, we are not trying to produce carpenters, we are not trying to produce shoemakers, we are not trying to produce fashion designers, no, not at all. We are trying to produce graduates who can manage fashion designing, who can manage bakery. That’s what we have tried to do with entrepreneurship. So they are not being trained in the skills, but the idea is for them to know the secrets,” Adebooye said.
The Registrar of the institution, Mrs Atinuke Abosede Oguntunde, in her vote of thanks expressed appreciation to the Vice Chancellor for what she regarded as his visionary and purposeful leadership.
Oguntade lauded other members of the university’s leadership as well as staff members for their dedication to achieving the goals of UNIOSUN. She thanked the media for honouring the invitation.