8 Bag First Class At Offa Varsity Maiden Convocation

Eight out of the 140 pioneer graduates of the University of Offa, Kwara State, bagged First Class degrees.

Speaking at the maiden convocation of the University in Offa yesterday, the vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Kazeem Gbolagade, said that 54 graduates bagged Second Class Upper degrees, 76 got Second Class lower degrees, and two graduates had Third Class honours.

Gbolagade said the university, which was licensed in 2021 and commenced academic activities in 2022 with two faculties and 10 programmes, had grown to four faculties and 17 academic programmes.

He listed the faculties as the Faculties of Science and Computing, Management and Social Sciences, Education, and Health Sciences.

Gbolagade said the institution was planning to introduce Law, Theatre Arts and Public Health programmes as part of its next phase of academic expansion.

On student enrolment, he said the university had recorded significant growth, with its student population rising from 81 in the 2022/2023 academic session to 640 in the 2026/2027 session.

He said more than 1,000 prospective students had applied for admission in the current session, adding that admission was still ongoing.

“Our quota for this year is 1,166, and once we fill up our quota, 2026/2027 admission will close,” he said.

Gbolagade attributed the growth to the institution’s commitment to academic excellence, strict adherence to its academic calendar, information technology and entrepreneurship.

He said the university had also engaged visiting lecturers and entered into partnerships with institutions within and outside Nigeria to expose students to practical and international learning experiences.

According to him, the university signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with Highstone International University, USA, and INTI International University, Malaysia, to promote staff and student exchanges, research collaboration, grant attraction and resource sharing.

He added that the institution had partnered with New Horizon to provide practical information technology training for students across all disciplines, with students expected to earn additional professional certifications alongside their degree certificates.

Gbolagade also disclosed that the university had made progress in research and grant acquisition, noting that some of its academics had secured research grants and international opportunities.

He said the University of Offa Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies was launched in March 2026, while its first volume, containing 19 articles, was published in June.

On entrepreneurship, Gbolagade said the university was helping students acquire Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration for their businesses, with plans to introduce start-up grants for graduates in the future.

He said the initiative was part of efforts to equip graduates with the skills to become job creators rather than job seekers.