519 bag first class as university combines two convocation ceremonies

Giving a breakdown of the class of degrees, she said 3,408 students graduated with Second Class Upper; 2,139 with Second Class Lower, and 339 in the Third-Class Division.

The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) will on Friday, 29 November, graduate over 6,500 undergraduates and postgraduate students at its combined 34th and 35th convocation ceremonies.

The event combines graduating students from 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions of the institution.

The vice-chancellor, Adenike Oladiji, a professor, disclosed this in a statement. The statement, issued on Friday, was shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday.

She said the graduates include 519 students who graduated with first class honours with three valedictorians emerging as overall best students.

She added that the convocation is to be presided over by the Chancellor, the Emir of Katagum, Umar Farouk.

The university will award during the convocation, first degrees, postgraduate diplomas, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees.

Best graduating students

Ms Oladiji listed the valedictorians for the 2022/2023 academic session as Faith Faromika of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Anuoluwapo Vitowanu of the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering. Both graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.96 each.

For the 2023/2024 academic session, the best graduating student is Joshua Ajakaye of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering with a 4.95 CGPA.

Giving a breakdown of the class of degrees, the vice-chancellor said 3,408 students graduated with Second Class Upper; 2,139 with Second Class Lower, and 339 in the Third-Class Division.

She added that the university will confer 344 postgraduate diplomas, 756 master’s degrees, and 180 doctoral degrees, making a total of 1,280 prograduate students.

Convocation Lecture, honorary degrees

The vice-chancellor noted that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, will deliver the convocation lecture titled, “Technological Innovations: A Panacea for Food Insecurity.”

She stated that the institution would also confer honorary doctorate degrees on three Nigerians for their outstanding contributions to the society and FUTA.

They are, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Professor Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, Doctor of Management Science (Honoris Causa), an International IT Expert and alumnus of FUTA, Mr. Joel Ogunsola, Doctor of Information and Communication Technology (Honoris Causa) and foremost University administrator and former Registrar of Obafemi Awolowo University, Mr Ayorinde Olurinde Ogunruku, Doctor of Management Science (Honoris Causa),” the statement said.

It also said three professors will be conferred with “Professor Emeriti”, in appreciation of “numerous selfless and dedicated contributions to the University and academia, as well as in order to continue to tap from their wealth of knowledge”.

The professors are Adebisi Balogun, Emeritus Professor of Fish Nutrition and Agricultural Biochemistry, Akin Laseinde, Emeritus Professor of Animal Production and Health and Labunmi Lajide, Emeritus Professor of Organic and Medical Chemistry.

Achievements

Highlighting some of the achievements of the university in the last academic session, the vice-chancellor said a team of students from the university emerged one of the best in a global international space competition organised by the American Astronautical Society based in Virginia, United States of America.

“The Can Size Satellite, CanSat FUTA team successfully emerged among the top five in the world and the first and only African University to partake in such competition. The project was executed at the University Sports Centre on Monday, October 7, 2024,” she said.

She also said the National Universities Commission (NUC) has given full accreditation status to 18 programmes at the university. “The result is hinged on the accreditation exercise conducted by the NUC between October and November 2023. The accreditation is valid for five years commencing from the 2023/2024 academic session in accordance with the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS). In all the university has fifty-nine (59) programs and none has been denied accreditation,” she added.