31 Students Graduate with First Class as OAUSTECH Hosts 3rd Convocation

The Vice-Chancellor of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) in Okitipupa, Prof. Temi Emmanuel Ologunorisa, stated on Thursday that a total of 31 students from the institution will be graduating with First Class honours during the university’s 3rd convocation ceremony.

Prof. Ologunorisa, who made this known during a press briefing held at the institution to announce the ceremony, explained that the first-class graduates are part of the 995 students who will be awarded first degrees across different faculties on March 4, 2025.

His words: “We have a total of 995 graduands out of which we have 31 first class and 367 in the second class (Upper Division) and we have 495 second class (Lower Division). We also have 102 in the category of third class.”

Providing further details about the graduating students, Prof. Ologunorisa stated that 234 graduands are from the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, 80 are from the School of Art Sciences, 195 are from the School of Engineering, while 544 belong to the School of Science.

However, Prof. Ologunorisa called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to upgrade the General Teaching Hospital in Igbokoda to a Teaching Hospital to support the university’s medical programmes.

He specifically highlighted that Ondo South Senatorial District is the most disadvantaged in the state in terms of medical education, emphasizing that the current administration, led by Aiyedatiwa who hails from the district, should address this imbalance.

He said: “We will also be making an appeal to the state government to upgrade the General Hospital in Igbokoda to a Teaching Hospital. The Ondo South Senatorial District has historically been the most underserved in terms of medical education.

“While Ondo North has the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Owo and Ondo Central has the Federal University of Technology, FUTA’s medical Programme, which the state has upgraded the Teaching Hospital in Akure and the Specialist Hospital in Ondo for such purpose.

“However, the Ondo South region remains underserved. Now is the best time for the government to upgrade at least one of the existing hospitals to a full-fledged teaching hospital.

“Our research indicates that this region is the most disadvantaged in terms of medical education in the state, and this needs to be addressed.”

He further stated that his leadership came on board to rescue the institution, as he inherited a nearly collapsed university.

He remarked: “We’ve rebuilt OAUSTECH. I met a university where staff were owed over N300million, students weren’t paying school fees (over a N100m), students results’ for over three years weren’t released.

“Students who graduated couldn’t be mobilized for service; staff who retired never got their entitlements, principal officers who worked here never got their entitlements, they were earning half salaries but today, I’m happy to say that we’ve changed the narrative.

“So, things are working, since the last three years, we’ve not had any strike, unlike before. Before, I came, the university never had a single convocation for 15 years. So, I am happy that we’re fine now.”

The Vice-Chancellor also explained that the university has transitioned from a teaching-only institution into a research-focused university, thereby boosting its ability to secure grants.

“Our institution has moved from a teaching university to a research-based university. How do I mean? Previously, our institution functioned primarily as a teaching university with limited research competitiveness and grant-winning capability.

“However, we have transformed the university by enhancing the research skills of our scholars. We have introduced specialized training by experienced grant-winning researchers, enabling our faculty to secure research funding and contribute significantly to global academic discourse.”

He added that the university now has approximately 80,000 students across its seven faculties.

“When I assumed office three years ago, the university had only three faculties: Faculty of Science, School of Engineering and Technology and School of Agriculture.

“Today, we have expanded to seven schools: School of ICT; School of Management Sciences; School of Health Sciences; School of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences”.

He emphasized that this expansion has significantly boosted student enrollment, while the university continues to pursue further growth.

“By the end of this year, we aim to launch a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Additionally, we are in the process of establishing the School of Basic Clinical Sciences, which will focus on disciplines such as Physiology and Anatomy. We have already signed an MOU with Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital to support this initiative,” he said.

“Beyond these achievements, we have also introduced new academic programs. The School of Governance and Business Technology now offers an MBA, a Master’s in Public Administration, and a Master’s in Agribusiness, further broadening our academic offerings,” he added.

He stressed that all these initiatives highlight his dedication to promoting academic excellence, strengthening research output, and fostering overall institutional development.

On academic distinction, the Vice-Chancellor noted: “we have some prominent members of this university. Dr. Bartholomew Adeleke, one of our distinguished faculty members who has been recognized among the top two percent of scientists worldwide who are highly cited, as ranked by Stanford University.

“We also have Dr. Alaba Joseph Adebayo. He produced the second-best PhD thesis in Chemistry in Nigeria, rated the by the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences. He was a recipient of the 2025 prize for the second-best thesis in Chemistry.

“Apart from that, one of our graduating students, Miss Aderoju Oluwaferanmi, produced the second-best undergraduate thesis in the field of Geology nationwide.

“This achievement was assessed by the Nigerian Geological Agency, which evaluated undergraduate projects across Nigerian universities. It is a testament to the quality of education we provide that one of our students attained such a high ranking.

“In addition to this, before my assumption of duty, our university had never secured a competitive TETFund National Research Fund (NRF) grant.

“However, under our administration, staff members have successfully secured over N50 million in grants. These grants contribute significantly to university rankings at the national level.”

The VC added: “Moreover, four of our graduates from the classes of 2021 and 2023 were admitted directly into PhD programs at prestigious American universities without requiring a master’s degree. These outstanding students, all from the Department of Biochemistry.

“Additionally, one of our esteemed faculty members, Dr. Cecilia, won a $50,000 research grant from a European research organization. This is just one of many achievements we have recorded.”