Professor Smaranda Olarinde, vice chancellor of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has announced that 141 students would get First Class degrees at the university’s 11th convocation ceremony.
The vice chancellor (VC), who spoke to reporters on Monday before of the convocation scheduled for Saturday, October 21, 2023, also announced that the institution would award honorary degrees to three notable Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their fields of endeavour. The VC disclosed that the graduating students were made up of 209 postgraduates of the institution and 1,459 undergraduates from the five colleges.
In addition to becoming one of the honorary awardees of a Doctor of Letters, Olarinde announced that Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former secretary general of the Commonwealth, would present the convocation address on Friday, October 20, with the topic “Management of Diversity: A Major Challenge in Plurastic Countries.”
“She said that at the grand finale on Saturday, business tycoon and managing director of BOVAS and Company Limited, Mrs. Victoria Adunola Samson, as well as retired Supreme Court justice and present Emir of Lafia, HRH Sidi Bage, will also get honorary awards.
“In strict compliance with the 2012 Keffi declaration, the University’s Council and senate, after a strict, rigorous and thorough as well as merit-based selection process, approved the nominations of the three eminent personalities for the conferment of Honorary Degrees in appreciation of the various ways they have impacted the society,” the VC said.
According to her, ABUAD has maintained its position as a top university in learning, research, and community service over the course of the institution’s 13 years of existence, keeping with the founding president, Aare Afe Babalola’s (SAN), mission. “Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) has grown significantly over the past ten years, a testament to the steadfast vision of its Founder, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN),” she stated.
“This exceptional growth, which is especially visible in the 1516% rise in graduation rates from 103 in 2013 to 1668 in 2023, underlines the institution’s dedication to quality. Such an accomplishment has been made possible by a continued emphasis on excellent academic standards, ongoing infrastructure development, and significant financial investments.
“These coordinated efforts have cemented ABUAD’s position as a fortress of learning, where quality education is not only a goal but also a standard that moulds the next generation of leaders. “Since its first Convocation on Sunday, October 21, 2013, the university has cumulatively graduated 11,310 students, both at the first-degree and postgraduate levels.”