Elizade varsity to graduate 964 students, 116 with first class - Vanguard News

Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, is set to graduate 964 students at its 10th and 11th combined convocation ceremonies, with 116 of the undergraduate graduands earning First Class degrees.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Philip Oguntunde, disclosed this on Friday, November 6, 2026, while briefing journalists ahead of the ceremonies.

He said 884 of the graduands were undergraduates, comprising 116 First Class, 398 Second Class Upper, 299 Second Class Lower, 69 Third Class and two Pass degrees.

The remaining 80 graduands, he said, were postgraduate students.

Oguntunde said the results reflected the commitment of the students, dedication of academic staff and the university’s emphasis on academic standards, discipline and quality assurance.

He explained that the graduands comprised 358 students from the 2024/2025 academic session and 526 from the 2025/2026 session.

The week-long programme, which began on Friday with the press briefing, will culminate in the main convocation ceremony on Friday, November 13, when first degrees, postgraduate degrees and honorary doctoral degrees will be awarded.

A major highlight of the programme will be the convocation lecture scheduled for Thursday, November 12, to be delivered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun.

The lecture will hold at the newly completed 2,500-capacity Beatrice Ademolawe Ojo Multipurpose Auditorium.

Oguntunde described the CJN’s acceptance of the invitation as an honour to the institution, saying it reflected the university’s commitment to intellectual engagement and national development.

The lecture will be chaired by Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, former Secretary-General of Afenifere and pioneer Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University, Lafia.

Another highlight will be the conferment of an honorary doctoral degree on Justice Babatunde Adejumo, Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, in recognition of his contributions to the legal profession, education and philanthropy.

The Vice-Chancellor said the university currently offered 35 undergraduate and 23 postgraduate programmes across 30 departments and five faculties.

On the programme of activities, he said the university had lined up a series of events, including a Jumat service, environmental awareness activities, tree and flower planting, sanitation exercises and presentation of staff awards on Monday, November 9.

Sporting activities featuring football, volleyball and basketball will hold at the University Sports Centre on Tuesday, November 10, by 2pm, while the convocation play is scheduled for Wednesday, November 11, at the Performing and Film Arts Theatre by 7pm.

The convocation lecture will hold on Thursday, November 12, followed by the main ceremony on Friday, November 13. The programme will end with a thanksgiving service at St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Ilara-Mokin, on Sunday, November 15.

On professional examinations, Oguntunde announced that the university’s third set of Nursing Science graduates recorded 100 per cent success in the Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife examinations conducted by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

He added that Medical Laboratory Science students also recorded 100 per cent success in their internal and external professional examinations, while the 2024/2025 Law graduates achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in the Nigerian Law School Bar examinations.

“These outstanding results are not accidental. They are the product of purposeful leadership, dedicated academic staff, effective teaching and learning, well-structured professional training, adequate institutional support and the determination of our students to excel,” he said.

On infrastructure, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the completion of the multi-billion-naira Beatrice Ademolawe Ojo Multipurpose Auditorium, which has a seating capacity of 2,500.

He said the facility was provided by the university’s founder in honour of his late mother, Mama Beatrice Ademolawe Ojo.

Oguntunde described the auditorium as a modern facility designed to host major academic, intellectual, cultural and institutional events, adding that it also represented a tribute to motherhood, family values and gratitude.

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