Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), in Edo State, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, on Friday said the university had graduated about 16, 000 undergraduate and postgraduate students since inception.
Speaking during the 20th convocation ceremony of the institution’s 2021/2022 academic session in Okada, Benin, Ezemonye said the convocation ceremony was particularly significant as the school was celebrating 23 years of academic excellence and two decades of timely graduation and unbroken convocation.
He noted that the institution was blazing a trail in terms of quality education delivery as it produced its latest set of 691 graduands, out of which, he said, 13 students bagged first class honours degree.
“Today, 557 undergraduate and 134 postgraduate students will be added to the list of distinguished graduands spread across seven colleges.
“The breakdown of undergraduate students shows that 13 graduated with first class, 248 second class upper, 215 second class lower and unclassified (pharmacy) 81.
“For the postgraduate school, 82 students would receive master degrees, 40 will receive PhD, while 12 will receive Post graduate diploma,” he said.
Ezemonye also said the Chancellor’s Fee rebate for staff and staff dependants had produced about 40 PhD, 80 MSc and over 200 First Degree graduate staff members in the institution.
According to him, all programmes run by the university were fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and relevant professional bodies.
The Chancellor of the institution, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, said the university had not relented in its commitment to deliver world-class education in a highly conducive global environment.
He was represented by the Deputy Chancellor, Dr Lucky Igbinedion, a former Governor of Edo State.
Igbinedion noted that all efforts to maintain the institution as the premier private university in Nigeria and drive towards academic excellence continued to receive tremendous goodwill and support from many.
The Chancellor thanked the management for providing strategic leadership to the institution.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Prof. Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah, on his part, said the university was proud to celebrate 20 years of unbroken graduation in its 23 years of existence.
The guest speaker, Mr David Smith, Chairman, British Africa Business Alliance, United Kingdom, called on Nigerians to come up with business plans to utilise the 25 billion pounds held in bank accounts in the UK by African savers, looking for opportunities to invest the funds.
He disclosed that 99 per cent of businesses in the UK were Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
“That is where our employment is, that is where our wealth is. But in Nigeria, MSMEs account for only three per cent.
“University is not just about graduating students but applying the knowledge to advance society in terms of development,” he stated.