Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State will confer degrees, diplomas, and postgraduate degrees on 11,784 graduating students at the 32nd and 33rd convocation ceremonies for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic sessions.

Vice Chancellor of OOU, Prof. Ayodeji Johnson Agboola, who was flanked by the university management team, disclosed this at the pre-convocation briefing, said 174 graduating students obtained First Class honours in different courses.

According to him, the Faculty of Engineering led with 46 First Class graduates, while Faculties of Basic Medicals Sciences recorded 40, Law 22, Science 19, Social Sciences 13 and Administration and Management Sciences 12.

Giving breakdown of the convocation list, Agboola said “I am pleased to inform you that a total number of 6131 and 5653 will convoke for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic session respectively.

“The breakdown shows that in the 2021/2022 academic session, there are 76 graduands that earned First Class, 1756 in Second Class Upper Division, 3203 in Second Class Lower Division, 884 had Third Class while 95 had a Pass Grade.

“And for the 2022/2023 academic session, 98 graduands earned First Class, 1536 made Second Class Upper Division, 2982 are in Second Class Lower, 651 had Third Class while 51 had Pass grade.”

He revealed that the overall best graduating student in the first-degree category for 2022/2023 academic session is Adegoke Azeeat Adenike of Pharmacology with 4.90 CGPA.

The VC also disclosed that three students in the Departments of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Engineering recorded 4.86 CGPA in the 2021/2022 academic sessions.

The vice-chancellor warned against the japa syndrome, saying the trend may lead to the disarticulation of the country’s rich culture and development.

“Rather than to flee the country in the name of japa, we had better see how we can all develop this nation and make it great because no foreigners is coming to do this for us,” he said.

Prof. Agboola said 1,230 postgraduate students out of which 112 are PhD will bag postgraduate diploma and masters.

The VC explained that the convocation will kick off on Thursday, January 25th with Agriculture and Engineering show, health talk, Jumat service and novelty match on Friday.

He said graduates of the 2021/2022 and 2022/2024 sessions in Faculties of Arts, Basic Medical Sciences, Education, Law, Pharmacy and Social Sciences will be conferred with their degrees on Monday, January 29th.

Graduates in Faculties of Administration and Management Sciences, Agricultural Production and Renewable Resources, Clinical Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Sciences will bag their degrees for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2024 sessions.

The OOU VC added that on Wednesday, January 31st, the convocation lecture titled: “Mass Exodus of Human Capital in Nigeria: An Anatomical Analysis of the Causes and Effects will be delivered by Chief Wole Olanipekun.

Agboola further stated that on the same day, 1,230 postgraduate students will bag their degrees while the university will confer honorary doctorate degrees on Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi and the former Pro-Chancellor of OOU, Mrs. Mosun Belo-Olusoga for their contributions to the state and the institution.

The vice chancellor said OOU intends to issue certificates to graduates same day instead of statement of results.

He disclosed that the university recently overhauled some of its academic programmes and introduced 10 new courses last year and intends to establish 10 new ones in 2024.