A total of 226 students are set to graduate with first class honours at the 12th convocation ceremony of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), scheduled for Monday, October 21, 2024. This milestone is part of the institution's 15th anniversary celebration.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, made this announcement at a press conference in Ado Ekiti. She revealed that the 226 first-class graduates are part of the 1,662 students who will be awarded degrees during the convocation. Of the remaining graduates, 693 will receive second class upper division, 350 will be awarded second class lower division, and 33 students will graduate with third class honours.
The convocation will also see the conferment of honorary degrees on three distinguished Nigerians: the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); legal luminary, Mr. Damien Dodo (SAN); and founder of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare. These honorees were selected by the institution’s Senate and Governing Council based on their merit and exceptional contributions to society. According to Prof. Olarinde, honorary degrees "are awarded on a high basis to persons of proven integrity and character who have made distinguished lifetime contributions to society."
As part of the activities marking the convocation, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, will deliver a convocation lecture titled "Diaspora Engagements for National Development."
In a breakdown of the statistics, Prof. Olarinde noted that 338 graduates are from the Engineering faculty, 244 from Law, 228 from Medical Health Sciences, 203 from Sciences, and 269 from Social and Management Sciences. Additionally, 177 postgraduate students, 20 part-time students, 22 from the ABUAD Business School, and 161 from the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program will receive degrees.
Highlighting the institution's impact, Prof. Olarinde spoke about the strides ABUAD has made in societal development. She emphasized the role of the university's 124-Unit Industrial Park, which provides employment and produces food, and the Bagoro Research Centre, which has developed three new drugs. The ABUAD Multisystem Hospital Dialysis Centre has also been pivotal, serving patients across the South-West region with an average of 400 dialysis sessions each month.
This year's convocation marks another significant milestone for Afe Babalola University, continuing its tradition of academic excellence and societal contributions.
