All seems set for the 56th convocation ceremony at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, where a total of 16,506 graduands will be awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates across more than 18 faculties, schools and colleges.
This is as two distinguished Nigerians – a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, Kanu Agabi, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, will receive honorary doctorate degrees.
While Mr Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, will be awarded a Doctorate Degree in Law, Mr Tinubu will be awarded a Doctorate Degree in Business.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, a professor, made this announcement on Wednesday on the campus, during a press briefing to herald the series of activities to mark the convocation ceremonies.
1,211 to bag First Class, Distinctions
According to the vice-chancellor, a total of 1,211 graduands, comprising undergraduate and postgraduate, will bag First Class and Distinctions across various disciplines.
The VC said a total of 709 undergraduates across various programmes, including Architecture, Arts, Creative Arts, Law, Management Sciences, Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences, among others, will bag First Class and Distinction.
In the postgraduate school and the UNILAG Business School, a total of 502 graduands will bag Distinctions, making a total of 1,211 Distinction and First Class scholars.
For undergraduates, Management Sciences recorded the highest number of First Class graduands, with 180 out of 1,163, while Law had the lowest, with three out of 320.
Umeozo’s perfect score of 5.0 CGPA
Of the 16,506 graduands, the vice-chancellor said Chukwuzubelu Umeozo of the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, emerged as the overall best graduating student with a perfect 5.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA).
Similarly, Deborah Oloton of the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, with a CGPA of 4.91, emerged as the best graduating student in the Sciences.
“The overall Best PhD Thesis Award for this year goes to Haruna Egbunu Abubakar, who obtained his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Structures option). The Best PhD Thesis (Humanities) award goes to Beatrice Paul Zuhumnen in Educational Psychology, while the Best PhD Thesis (DBA) from the UNILAG Business School goes to Oyeyemi Idowu Adebamowo,” the vice-chancellor said.
Convocation lecture
According to the VC, on Monday, 19 January, the founder of Slum2School Africa and pioneer of the first Virtual Learning Classroom in Sub-Saharan Africa, Orondaam Otto, will speak on the theme: “Maximising Nigeria’s Demographic Dividend through Urgent Education Reform for Global Competitiveness in the 21st Century” as the convocation lecturer.
The event is scheduled to be chaired by the 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university and the incumbent President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Rahamon Bello, a professor.
Other activities to mark the ceremonies include the unveiling of the UNILAG multimedia Library studio, a project said to have been funded through a World Bank Centre of Excellence initiative “to empower students and researchers to document Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage on digital media.”
This, the VC said, will be followed by an exhibition showcasing innovations and creative works by staff and students at the Senate Car Park.
According to her, Tuesday and Wednesday, 20 and 21 January, will feature the conferment of first degrees, diplomas, certificates, and prizes on undergraduate graduands while those from the postgraduate school will receive their diplomas, master’s and doctoral degrees, including DBA and EMBA.
More awardees
Apart from Messers Agabi and Tinubu, the university said other individuals including two retired academics, James Olowokudejo and Duro Oni, will be conferred with emeritus professorship awards while Akinsanya Osibogun, a distinguished scholar of medicine, will be conferred with the title of Distinguished Professor.
“Gold Medals will also be awarded to Professor Ayoka Mopelola Olusakin, Professor of Counselling Psychology, and Dr Taiwo Folasade Ipaye, Director of the Office of Advancement, President of the University of Lagos Women Society and former Registrar, in recognition of their sustained service to the university and the nation,” the VC said.
Meanwhile, on Friday, 23 January, the university will host a luncheon and a convocation play titled: “Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi,” a popular historical play by the late playwright, Ola Rotimi.
UNILAG cuts 120 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions
The university said it has reduced more than 120 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions within one year through the deployment of electric vehicles on campus, marking a major step in its climate action agenda.
The VC described the achievement as a significant breakthrough in the institution’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint and promote environmentally responsible operations.
“UNILAG recorded a major breakthrough in sustainable transportation, reducing over 120 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions through its Electric Vehicle initiative,” she said.
The transition, she said, has helped to reposition the campus as a model for sustainable mobility within Nigeria’s higher education sector.
The electric vehicle initiative, which was launched in January 2025 through a partnership with Chart Eco and Ogata Global Resources, replaced fossil-fuel-powered campus buses with electric shuttles, significantly cutting emissions while improving air quality and lowering transport costs for students and staff.
Mrs Ogunsola noted that the project forms a core part of the university’s Green UNILAG drive, which focuses on sustainability across energy use, transportation and the environment.
Green campus
Beyond transportation, Mrs Ogunsola highlighted complementary environmental interventions across the campus, particularly the work of the university’s Beautification Committee under the leadership of Kayode Eesuola, a professor.
She said the Adopt-a-Park initiative, also known as the UNILAG Campus Connect Park project, has created green outdoor spaces that encourage learning, interaction and wellbeing.
“The Adopt-a-Park concept is designed to keep our campus green and provide a clean and serene environment for staff and students,” she said, while acknowledging the support of partners and donors, including alumni groups and university associations.