…as FUOYE graduates 7,684 Students
President Bola Tinubu has urged graduates of Nigerian University to deploy the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies toward building productive lives and contributing meaningfully to national development.
The president stated this in Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) during the graduation of 7,684 students at 10th Convocation Ceremony, held at the university’s main campus, Oye Ekiti .
Representing President Tinubu, Prof. Ribadu congratulated the university community on the successful convocation, describing FUOYE as one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing universities within just over a decade of its establishment. He commended the Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor, Governing Council, Vice-Chancellor, management, staff and students for their collective commitment to growth and academic excellence.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to revitalising the education sector through pragmatic policies and sustainable funding mechanisms.
President Tinubu highlighted key reforms under the Tinubu administration, including the operationalisation of the National Education Loan Fund, through which over ₦120 billion has been disbursed to support Nigerian students. He also announced the approval of interest-free staff loan schemes, the successful renegotiation and signing of a new agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and a 40 per cent salary increase for academic staff. Other gains included improved research funding, strengthened university autonomy and the exit of tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
He further called on university leaders and unions to uphold discipline, accountability and ethical standards, warning against academic misconduct such as plagiarism and extortion.
The university lecture delivered by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, reflected on the state of democracy in Nigeria and beyond. He noted that despite widespread grievances, protests, imprisonments and unaccounted votes in many democracies, normalcy often returns.
According to him, democracy remains preferable to all alternatives, despite required attitudes not yet fully matured and utilized.
A total of 7,684 students were awarded degrees across various disciplines. The breakdown showed 131 First Class graduates, 2,519 Second Class Upper, 3,777 Second Class Lower, 966 Third Class, and three Pass degrees.
The overall best graduating student, Adeniyi Maryam Adedolapo, emerged from the Department of Basic Medical Sciences (Anatomy) with a First Class degree and a CGPA of 4.89.
The Pro- Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba in his address appreciated President Tinubu for his immense contributions to the university in human and material resources including the newly signed agreement with ASUU. He further admonished the graduands to be innovative and creative to create employment opportunities and wealth for themselves rather than seeking jobs. He charged them to uphold the values of honesty, excellence and service imbibed from FUOYE.
The Pro- Chancellor reiterated the vision of the institution to be the leading university in Africa and beyond requested president Tinubu to provide assistance in building more students hostels, lecture rooms/ halls, staff offices and quarter , reconstruction/rehabilitation of road networks ,staffing, drainage and erosion control, landscaping and more funding.
In his valedictory address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, whose tenure ends with the convocation, expressed gratitude to God for what he described as “a good beginning and an enviable conclusion.” He said the university had grown from infancy to become the fourth most sought-after university in Nigeria, with growing national and international recognition.
Prof. Fasina disclosed that within five years, his administration expanded the university’s faculties from 8 to 18, academic programmes from 73 to 91, directorates from (1) to 19, institutes from (0) to 4, and departments from 67 to 81. He added that 88 programmes had received full NUC accreditation, with only 3 awaiting full accreditation.
He further revealed that FUOYE now has over 50,000 full-time students and more than 6,200 part-time students across neighbouring communities, and that over 160 projects were completed during his tenure. This, he said, was made possible by a 310 per cent increase in Internally Generated Revenue, alongside support from the Federal Government, TETFund and other stakeholders.
The ceremony also featured the conferment of honorary doctoral degrees on : the Ooni of Ife, Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja (ii) CON, HRM Oba (Sir) Oluwole Ademolaju Adugbole 111,OON, The Oloye of Oye Ekiti, Most Rev.(Dr) Mathew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111,CON, The Sultan of Sokoto and Justice Walter Ononoghen , Former Chief Justice of Nigeria for their leadership, integrity and contributions to national development.
