By Gabriel Dike
Two male students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Damilare Haroun Adebakin and Samuel Akinade Badekale, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, have emerged the overall best graduating students with a perfect score of 5.00 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).
The overall best Ph.D thesis award goes to Adetoun Alaba Akitoye (Chemistry) while the best Ph.D thesis in Humanities is Eniola Niniola Ladipo.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, broke the news at the 55th pre-convocation briefing for the 2022/2023 academic session, yesterday.
She disclosed that the university would graduate 16,409 students consisting of 9,684 first degrees and diplomas on January 14 and 15.
According to her, 561 would bag First Class with the Faculty of Management Sciences producing 125. Others are faculties of Arts 24, Education 38, Engineering 61, Environmental Sciences 21, Science 121, Social Sciences 56, Law 3, Distance Learning 18.
Ogunsola also revealed that the overall best graduate in Humanities goes to Olamide Idris Emida with 4.95 CGPA from the Department of Accounting while 213 and 6,659 would be conferred with PhD postgraduate degrees respectively.
The VC defended the high number of First Class, saying “it was obtained on merit. It is not that we dashed them marks.”
She revealed that UNILAG would confer honorary degrees on three prominent Nigerians, who distinguished themselves in scholarship, made ground-breaking discoveries, or contributed significantly to academic and societal development.
‘This year we have the privilege of honouring two men and a woman, who have shown integrity, hard work and service to the nation.”
She revealed that the three awardees are Mr. Fola Adeola, businessman and co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB Plc), Mr. Kolawole Adesina,Group Managing Director (GMD) of Sahara Power Group and alumnus of UNILAG and chairs of several boards, including Ikeja Electric Distribution Company whose company has awarded prizes to students in various fields and recognised the work of faculty members through the Making a Difference award of $12,000 yearly and and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), distinguished economist renowned for her integrity and significant economic reforms in Nigeria’s financial sector and her role in the Parish Club negotiations, which resulted in the cancellation of Nigeria’s $30 billion debt.
The VC said the convocation lecture: “Universities as Hubs for Development and Wealth Creation” will be delivered by Dr. Tayo Aduloju, chief executive officer of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) at J.F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium on Monday, January 13.
“We are looking forward to a very thought-provoking lecture that will add to the discuss on funding of tertiary education and positioning them as drivers of economic and social development.”
Ogunsola explained that the chairman of the lecture will be the former governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.