The 226 students graduating from the first class of 1662 at Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), based in Ado Ekiti, will be graduating at the 12th convocation ceremony of the university, scheduled for Monday, October 21, 2024.
The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Smaranda Olarinde, disclosed yesterday in Ado Ekiti at the press conference heralding the 15th anniversary and the 12th convocation ceremonies of ABUAD.
He said three eminent Nigerians, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Mr Damien Dodo (SAN), and the founder of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos, will also be conferred with honorary degrees by the private university.
Olarinde added that the chairman and chief executive officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, will on Friday, October 18, 2024, deliver the convocation lecture titled: “Diaspora Engagements for National Development as part of activities lined up for the ceremony.
The Professor of Law said 693 graduating students would get second class upper honour, 350-second class lower and 33 third class.
The VC gave the breakdown of statistics of the overall graduating students: 338 are from Engineering, Law (244), MHS (228), Sciences (203), SMS (269), Postgraduate (177), Part-Time (20), ABUAD Business School (22), and MBBS (161).
Speaking further on the honorary degrees to be conferred to eminent personalities, she said they were strictly selected on merit and based on their contribution to and impact on society by the Senate and the Institution’s governing council.
“Honorary Degrees anywhere in the world are awarded on a high basis to persons of proven integrity and character, who have made exceptional and distinguished lifetime contributions to the society”.
Regarding the university’s impact on society, Prof. Smaranda said, “The 124-Unit Industrial Park has employed many people and produced food.
“The Bagoro Research Centre set up for drug manufacturing has so far developed three drugs.
“The ABUAD Multisystem Hospital dialysis centre has continued to serve patients from all over southwest and beyond with an average of 400 monthly dialysis sessions”.
