55th Convocation: UNILAG to Honour Okonjo-Iweala, 16,409 Students Set to Graduate

The University of Lagos will confer an honorary Doctor of Science on WTO’s director-general, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at its 55th convocation.

No fewer than 16,409 students will be graduating during the week-long activities scheduled to commence with a Juma’at service at the institution’s Central Mosque on January 10 and end on January 17.

UNILAG’s vice-chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, said during a pre-convocation news briefing on Wednesday that former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola would be the chairman of the occasion.

The vice-chancellor said Tayo Aduloju, the Nigeria Economic Summit Group CEO, will deliver the convocation lecture.

Mr Ogunsola said the conferment of honorary degrees recognised three personalities who had distinguished themselves in scholarship, made groundbreaking discoveries or contributed significantly to academic and societal development.

She listed other awardees as Fola Adeola, co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank, and group managing director of Sahara Power Group, Kolawole Adesina.

The vice-chancellor said the ceremony will feature the award of first degrees, diplomas, certificates, and prizes to graduating students of the faculties of arts, education, environmental sciences, science, and social sciences.

“Out of the 16,409, 9,684 students will receive first degrees and diplomas, 6,659 will be awarded postgraduate degrees, while 66 will graduate from the UNILAG Business School,” she said.

She gave the breakdown of the award results as 561 first-class degrees and distinctions, 3,916 second-class upper degrees (2.1) and 763 second-class lower (2.2) degrees. The vice-chancellor also said that results showed that 1,143 third-class degrees, 78 degrees, and 223 unclassified degrees would be conferred.

Ms Ogunsola said two students of the Faculty of Science, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Damilare Adebakin and Samuel Badekale, have set another record.

The vice-chancellor noted that Olamide Emida, the best-graduating student from the humanities, Faculty of Management Sciences in the Department of Accounting, had a CGPA of 4.95.

Ms Ogunsola said that the overall best PhD thesis award for 2025 will go to Adetoun Alaba Akitoye, who obtained her PhD in Chemistry, while the best PhD thesis (humanities) will be awarded to Eniola Ladipo.