168 bag first class as UNN graduates 12,895

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, will graduate 12,895 students, including 168 First Class graduates, during its 55th Convocation Ceremony.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing to herald the commencement of the convocation activities.

According to him, 10,641 students will receive first degrees and diplomas, while 2,944 will be awarded postgraduate qualifications comprising 1,390 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, 1,340 Master’s degrees and 214 Postgraduate Diplomas.

“This year’s convocation celebrates a harvest of 12,895 graduands. Of these, 10,641 will receive First Degrees and Diplomas, including 168 First Class honours graduates,” Ortuanya said.

He added that the university would confer honorary doctorate degrees on the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, High Chief Williams Agbo, Arc. Dr. Kaycee Kelechi Orji and Dr. William Franklyn Richardson.

The institution will also confer the title of Professor Emeritus on two retired academics, Prof. Peter-Jazzy Ezeh and Prof. Boniface Obinna Okere.

The Vice-Chancellor said the convocation lecture, scheduled for Thursday, July 23, would be delivered by the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, while a former Vice-Chancellor of the university and current Vice-Chancellor of the University on the Niger, Prof. Ositadinma Nebo, would chair the event

Highlighting achievements recorded by his administration since assuming office in August 2025, Ortuanya said the university had secured approval to increase its admission quota for Medicine from 180 to 400 and Dentistry from 15 to 60 following accreditation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

He said the National Universities Commission also approved the unbundling of the Department of Mass Communication into five specialised degree programmes, while programmes in Agribusiness, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Industrial Arts, and Criminology and Security Studies received full accreditation.

According to him, the university has also intensified efforts to improve digital learning and research through the digitalisation of its Central Library and the establishment of a Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Laboratory.

On infrastructure, the Vice-Chancellor said several projects were ongoing across the university’s campuses, including the reconstruction of internal roads, rehabilitation of hostels and construction of additional facilities at the College of Medicine, Ituku-Ozalla.

He listed some of the hostels undergoing renovation as Eni-Njoku, Eyo-Ita, Nkrumah and Odili hostels, adding that work had resumed on the long-abandoned Zik’s Flats and the Senate Building.

Ortuanya also disclosed that 1,984 members of staff had been promoted within the past 11 months, including 25 academics elevated to the rank of professor.

He said the university had expanded its international partnerships through collaborations with institutions in Sweden, Taiwan, China, Belarus, the United States and South Africa to promote research, staff exchange and academic development.

The Vice-Chancellor described the ongoing reforms as part of efforts to reposition the university as a globally competitive institution while calling on alumni, development partners and other stakeholders to support its development.

“Our vision is to reposition the University of Nigeria as a globally competitive institution distinguished by excellence in teaching, cutting-edge research, digital innovation, entrepreneurship and transformational community engagement,” he said.