By: Precious Oluwole

Not less than 42 students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, have completed their various programs in the institution with first-class.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olugbenga Ige revealed this at the Press Conference heralding the 12th convocation of the institution.

According to Prof. Ige, a total of 5,249 graduands from the 2020/2021 set will be honoured, of which 180 will receive postgraduate degrees, with 24 in the PhD category.

“Of the graduating class, 42 achieved First Class, 1,088 in Second Class Upper Division, 2,264 in Second Class Lower Division and 605 in Third Class.

He added that AAUA remained steadfast in its dedication to excellence, quality academic programme and research Initiatives.

“Convocation Ceremonies provide a unique opportunity to assess and evaluate our progress in alignment with the strategic vision and mission of our university. Additionally, Convocation serves as a platform to inspire and commission our graduates for their next phase in life, confident in their empowerment during their tenth with us, equipped with essential life skills, ethical morality, and the activation of their mental and physical capacities to thrive in an increasingly competitive world.

“AAUA remains committed to enhancing integrity and quality of it’s academic programmes through continuous staff training, re-invention of programmes and the establishment if a broad research agenda.

“AAUA remains steadfast in its dedication to excellence, evident through our consistent efforts to augment our online presence and academic standards. By prioritizing the quality of our academic programs and research initiatives, we have fortuitously strengthened our position in the digital sphere.

“This proactive stance has consistently earned AAUA recognition as the Best State University in Nigeria over the past four years according to the prestigious Webometrics Ranking”.

He noted that all the university’s programmes were accredited by the National University Commission, NUC.

“In our commitment to internationalisation and and benchmarking operations with global beat practices, the university continues to foster partnerships and networks with sister universities both locally and abroad.

“We have extended out collaborations with reputable foreign organisations and universities, including Chin-Africa Partnership Institute Exchange Programme”, he said.

The AAUA VC appreciated the university alumni association, adding that the university continued to support students through the dedicated Students’ Support Centre.

“Our university encourages our students to hone their skills, particularly in sports, entertainment and artistic performances, yielding gratifying outcomes. The numerous academic laurels achieved by some of our academic staff and collectively as a University in recent times further underscore the quality of AAUA’s academic programmes, the cornerstone of our reform efforts in recent years”, he said.

The week-long convocation activities of the Ondo State foremost university kicked off on Friday, December 1, 2023, with a Jumat Service at the University Mosque, followed by a keep-fit exercise on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at the University Sports Complex.

Tuesday, December 5 will feature research, development and innovation fair and convocation play.

Wednesday is for Convocation Lecture, to be delivered by the Managing Director of The Guardian Newspaper, Mr Martins Oloja before Graduands Cocktail in the evening.

The conferment of First Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, Higher Degrees, and Presentation of Prizes is set for Friday, December 8, and Saturday, December 9, 2023.

The grand finale, an Interdenominational Christian Service, will take place on Sunday, December 10.