Professor Rasaq Kalilu, acting Vice-Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has announced that around 99 students would graduate with first-class honours during the institution’s upcoming 16th convocation event.
He made the announcement during a press conference held on Wednesday at the institution’s Senate Building in Ogbomoso.
Kalilu said, “A total of 4,749 first degrees will be awarded to students next week Monday, out of this figure, 99 students are graduating with first-class degrees.
“During this convocation ceremony, 1,363 students will be graduating with second class upper category, 2,580 students in the second class lower category, and 597 students in the third class category.
“It is noteworthy that Olagoke Olopade, who is graduating with a GCPA of 4.86 from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, is the overall best-graduating student and he will be so awarded the prize during this convocation,” he said.
The VC acknowledged the commitment of the Visitor to the university, who is also the state governor, Seyi Makinde, to the development of the institution. He said through Makinde’s unalloyed support, the institution was able to weather storms and continue to grow.
“The expansion of our academic vista and rapid growth of the university has imposed the need for infrastructural upgrade and expansion. Consequently, four of our large lecture theatres were renovated to make the learning environment more conducive.
“A TETFund-sponsored Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences Building Complex that was started in 2015 and left uncompleted since 2019 has been completed to complement the ones currently in use. Similarly, two high-impact student hostels started in 2019 were completed and will soon be released for use.
“There is also ongoing construction of three large capacity multi-media lecture theatres and ICT facilities at Ogbomoso and Iseyin campuses. They were donated to the university by five stakeholders.”
He also attributed LAUTECH’s researchers’ success in receiving N203,081,810.99 in national and international funding to hard effort and management’s providing of an enabling environment for its professors and students.
Kalilu, on the other hand, stated that among the activities commemorating the convocation will be the award of the degree of Doctor of Business Administration (honoris causa) to the university’s sixth and current Chancellor, Sir Ohna Sergeant Chidi Awuse, who is also the paramount ruler of Emuoha Kingdom in Rivers state.
Ahmed Raji (SAN) will also get a Doctor of Civil Law (honoris causa), while Adeyinka Ajao will receive a Doctor of Technology (Honoris Causa).