117 graduate with First Class at UI convocation

THE Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, on Monday, disclosed that a total of 117 graduates of the premier university obtained First Class honours this year.

A total of 1,207 also obtained 2nd Class honours (Upper Division); 3,020, 2nd Class (Lower Division); and 666, Third Class.

It was Professor Olayinka’s first graduation address since assuming office as the vice chancellor of the institution.

He, however, said that the 117 that graduated with First Class represented only 2.2 per cent of the total graduands this year.

The visibly excited vice chancellor told the congregation that, indeed, one of his strategic objectives when he applied for the vice chancellor position was to significantly increase the proportion of students of the university who graduate with First Class and Second Class honours (Upper Division), and reduce the proportion that graduate with Third Class – without lowering standards.

The vice chancellor also listed some of the feats achieved by staff and students of the university in the course of the past one year, particularly the ranking of the University of Ibadan among the top 1,000 best universities in the world by the Times Higher Education (the first Nigerian university to break into that bracket).

He also disclosed that two of the products of the university obtained First Class honours at the Nigerian Law School Bar Final Examination.

Professor Olayinka congratulated the graduands on their successful graduation, appealed to them to be good ambassadors of the institution.

Miss Christianah Oluwatosin Falaye, who emerged the overall best student in this year’s graduation, commended the university for offering the graduands a “liberal education” which she said equipped the students with transferable skills, which can be used creatively to solve personal problems.