The management of the University of Benin on Monday announced that the institution will be graduating 14, 083 students out of which 198 students bag first class degrees in various academic disciplines.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Edoba Omoregie disclosed this at the 51st and 55th Pre-Convocation and Founders Days press conference held at the University’s Senate hall in Benin City, Edo State.

Edoba said that many other great strides have indeed been recorded by this administration since coming on board adding that five new faculties have been created while fifteen new programmes were approved by the National Universities Commission.

He said, “This quantum leap represents over 600 per cent increase from the figure of the last convocation which stood at 241 graduands at the higher degree level.

“This is the direct positive outcome of our efforts in the last over eleven months since the assumption of office as Vice Chancellor to upscale the postgraduate degree programmes offered by the University of Benin.

“The up-grading of the Postgraduate School to College of Postgraduate Studies is a strategic move at repositioning the University as an institution both for advanced academic training and an innovative capacity-building epicentre.”

He said since he assumed duty as the VC, some administrative changes have been effected by the establishment of a directorate of examinations and students’ records with the appointment of a professor of Engineering as director.

“We have also instituted digitisation of students’ records to address the major concern of alumni members regarding the prompt processing of their requests for transcripts and confirmation of their academic and other records.

“We will not relent until we achieve one hundred per cent seamless operations in examinations and the students’ records system.

He lauded President Bola Tinubu for establishing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND and the initiative, he said, accelerates students’ access to funding for tertiary education.