By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The Federal University Lokoja (FUL), is to confer First Class Honours degree on 41 students out of a total of the 2,196 graduands bill to graduate at the 8th Convocation ceremony of the institution slated for Saturday.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi disclosed this at the Pre-Convocation Press Conference at the Felele Campus of the University on Monday in Lokoja.
Prof. Akinwumi said that the Convocation ceremony is particularly significant being the third ceremony since he assumed office and the Vice Chancellor of the institution.
The Vice Chancellor hinted that a total of 41 students would be graduating with first class honours degree while 461 would be graduating with Second Class Upper Division and 974 with Second Class Lower Division.
He said, “In this year’s convocation ceremony, a total of 1,863 students will be conferred with first degrees, 117 students with Diploma, and 216 with Postgraduate comprising Ph.D, Master’s and PGD.
The Vice Chancellor stated that activities marking the 8th convocation ceremony which started from Sunday, this week will end with the Convocation proper on Saturday when the students would be conferred with certificates.
He added that the certificates of the institution would be conferred on them having been found worthy in “Character and Learning.
“We are also proud to announce that, as parts of this year’s ceremony, Honorary Degrees will be conferred on eminent personalities who have contributed immensely to the development of the University and the nation at large.
“I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate our students. Their achievements are a source of immense pride for all of us in the university”, the VC stated.
Prof. Akinwumi who seized the opportunity to reveal his scorecard which he described as “Our Situation Report and Achievements”, reeling out some of the achievements of his administration since the last 6th and 7th combined Convocation ceremony held on October 21, 2023.
Akinwumi said that the University, in the last one year, experienced expansion of academic programmes and strategic partnerships.
The University, he said, received approval from National Universities Commission (NUC) for the introduction of several new programmes including LL.B Law, Doctor of Pharmacy, B.Agric, B.MLS and B.Ed.Educatoonal Management and Planning.
“Admissions for these programmes are on-going for the 2024/2025 academic session, reflecting our commitment to broadening the academic opportunities available at our institution”, he said.
He added that the NUC has also approved the full-time delivery of eight academic programmes to be run in affiliation with Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State.
The programmes, he said, include B.Sc. Microbiology, Biochemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Public Admin., Banking and Finance, Mass Communication, Computer Science and Statistics.
He announced among other achievements that the University was into partnership for power generation; establishment of FUL Zoo and Conservatory; Inaugural and Public Lectures series, establishment of centre for distance and e-learning and infrastructural development.
Prof. Akinwumi also listed 16 projects at various levels of completion being executed by his administration in the two campuses of the University in the areas of infrastructural development. (Ends)