No fewer than 82 students will be awarded first class honours as Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, holds its 18th convocation ceremony on Saturday.
A total of 834 graduates will be taking part in the ceremony.
The vice chancellor, Professor Jonathan Babalola, who gave the hint on Monday during a press conference, also disclosed that the chief executive and founder of Channels Television, John Momoh, will be conferred with an honorary Doctor of Media (PhD honoris causa) for his contributions to the media industry and nation building.
Giving a breakdown of the awards, Professor Babalola said 338 other students will be awarded second class honours (upper division), 222 second class (lower division), 83 in third class and five in the Pass grades.
He also disclosed that the university would graduate 65 students for the MBBS, 17 for M.Sc and 14 for the PhD programmes.
Babalola noted that the university has undergone significant and impressive advancement in various aspects (academics, research, infrastructure, environmental sustainability and human development), and that his administration, which is just 100 days in office, is fully committed to not only maintaining the existing high standard but also building on the legacies established by past administrations.
He tasked the government at all levels and the education policymakers to focus more on a curriculum that will steer students towards acquiring skills.
This he said would go a long way to reduce graduate unemployment in Nigeria.
He said: “Graduate unemployment in Nigeria is a policy issue. Nigeria recognizes certificates, but where things work (better), they recognize skills to improve their economy.
“If our graduates were skillful, they would be self-employed and employable in the labour market.
“In Bowen University, there is a strong entrepreneurship component in our programmes, through which we expose our students to relevant skills. I am very disappointed in the Federal Government for allowing technical institutions in the country to die down.
“The federal government should shift its focus away from a mere emphasis on academic certificates to skill development among the youths. PhD does not necessarily indicate one’s competence, and overemphasis on certificates has led to incidence of certificate forgery.
“Individuals should be evaluated based on their abilities and what they can offer rather than their certificates.”
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