Day of awards!

•UNIABUJA splashes jobs, prizes on best graduating students

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) recently concluded its week-long activities for the combined 29th/30th convocation that culminated in the award of different categories of degrees and prizes to deserving graduates.

Different prizes, rewards and automatic jobs were splashed on students with outstanding academic performances Oyine James of the Department of Chemical Engineering with 4.85 GPA emerged the overall best graduating student for the 2023/2024 academic session.

Honorary Doctorate Degrees (Honoris Causa) was conferred on some distinguished Nigerians, including Prof. Yusuff Olaolu Ali, SAN; Mr. Paul Odili, and Mr. Emmanuel Ayuba Iza, in recognition of their individual contributions in their various fields of human endeavours.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, said the automatic jobs offer was aimed at encouraging more sacrifices and efforts from the students that could, ultimately, culminate in academic excellence, and outstanding result at the end of their academic journey:

“The convocation was significant because it was an opportunity to openly celebrate the achievements of the graduating sets. It was also significant to me personally being my first since assuming office as VC.”

Chief Executive Officer, Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola, in his lecture, “Graduating into an AI-Powered Fintech World: Opportunities, Challenges and Responsibilities,” exposed the students to the huge opportunities in 21st century world driven by technology, and ways they could maximise the opportunities.

Director-General, National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Dr. Omotenioye Majekodunmi, Senator Tejuoso and Prof. Fawehinmi, championed a tree-planting campaign within the university campus and environs alongside outstanding graduating students, as part of measures to preserve the environment.

In her lecture, “Carbon Credits from Tree Planting: Opportunities and Challenges for Nigeria’s Climate Goals,” Majekodunm said: “For Nigeria, tree planting is no longer an environmental gesture but a development strategy. It supports climate action, restore degraded land, create jobs, strengthen resilience, and open access to climate finance. We have degraded lands in need of restoration. We have ecological zones that can benefit from afforestation, agroforestry, mangrove restoration, and shelter belt expansion.

“We also have a large youth population capable of driving innovation and green jobs. We have communities ready to engage, and we now have stronger momentum to build a credible carbon market ecosystem. The world does not reward potential. It rewards credibility, and this is where many countries get it wrong. They assume planting trees is enough. It is not.

“The future will belong to countries that can measure carbon precisely, govern projects properly, verify results transparently, protect communities fairly, and bring integrity to the market. That is how you move from simply planting trees to building a credible carbon economy.

“Nigeria can build a competitive advantage in nature-based solutions. In a world increasingly looking for high-integrity credits, countries that can produce credible credits from agriculture, forestry, and land-use activities can position themselves strategically. This is not just about selling credits. It is about entering the future of green trade and sustainable investment.

“Tree planting can also support food systems and resilience, especially where we link it to agroforestry. Trees on farms can improve soil health, reduce erosion, provide shade, restore moisture cycles, increase long-term productivity, and diversify farmer income. Hence, climate action and agricultural productivity do not have to be in conflict.

“Nigeria can also build a new generation of climate careers and businesses. The carbon economy is creating professions that barely existed a few years ago: carbon analysts, MRV specialists, climate financiers, project developers, GIS experts, environmental lawyers, registry managers, and nature-tech innovators.”

She, however, maintained that forests are assets, and communities could become stakeholders when people are properly educated and enlightened and good policies are implemented.

Graduating students

No fewer than 12,624 students participated in the convocation. The 29th convocation (2022/2023 set) involved 7,158 students. The breakdown indicated that 48 students made first class; 2,048 graduates made second class upper; 4,418 students made second class lower; while 644 students finished with third class.

For the 30th convocation (2023/2024 set), 5,466 students were involved, and the breakdown indicated that 29 students made first class; 1,395 finished with second class upper; 3,091 made second class lower; while 951.

The VC said: “We remain committed to developing the university in ways that will enable it realise its aspiration of becoming a 21st century world-class institution. We will continue to make steady progress in academic and research activities.

“We have sustained a high level of programme accreditation with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and professional regulatory bodies, while maintaining a stable academic calendar to ensure efficiency in our operations.

“In research, we have secured grants from TETFund and other partners, including a major intervention of about N4 billion for the College of Health Sciences through its Provost, Prof. Titus Ibekwe and his team.

“We are also making significant strides in specialised and globally relevant research. A notable example is the Cardiovascular Research Centre of the university led by Prof. Dike Ojji, in collaboration with the UNIABUJA Teaching Hospital.”

He said the university has stepped up collaborations both nationally and internationally as part of efforts to strengthen academic exchange, research collaboration, industry-linked training, and global visibility.

Challenges and aspirations

The VC said: “The university is not unmindful of challenges that need attention. With the growing student population, the need to expand infrastructure is becoming more pressing, but funding remains a challenge. Some planned faculties and agricultural research zones would be disrupted by land encroachment and limited funding. UNIABUJA deserves more than its over 11,000 hectares.

“The freedom to utilise our land without harassment and intimidation will enable us to create additional research institutes, centres, and other platforms for innovative knowledge production, thereby increasing our research output.

“We, however, believe that with strategic planning, effective management, and strong partnerships with government, alumni, the private sector and development partners, the university will continue to thrive and maintain its trajectory toward becoming a world-class institution.”

Senator Tejuoso lamented the challenges of hostel accommodation in the university: “No major hostel development project has taken place in recent years. Yet, our student population has nearly doubled. This is not sustainable. We appeal to investors and corporate organisations to support the development of modern student hostels in the university.

“A hostel is more than a building. It is a foundation for learning, a space for dignity, and a platform for shaping the future. The University must not only grow, but it must also grow with structure, purpose, and vision.”

Return of peace

The VC said: “In recent times, the university was faced with leadership and administrative turbulence, marked by tension, disunity, rancour and mudslinging, all of which were unwholesome for our image. The fact that we had three Acting Vice-Chancellors within a short period explains this crisis.

“But we are glad that the storm is over, thanks to the Ministers of Education for stabilising the university. The Governing Council has also resolved the long-standing issue of stagnation among academic staff. Many academic staff across ranks have been promoted, including associate professors and full professors, with several of the elevations backdated due to many years of stagnation.”