The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, announced that 448 of the 5,900 graduating students from the 2024/2025 academic session achieved First Class degrees across various fields.
Adebowale disclosed this significant achievement on Tuesday in Ibadan, during the first day of the convocation ceremony designated for graduands from the faculties of Arts, Science, Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Public Health, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
He extended his congratulations to the graduands, describing their success as a clear reflection of discipline, hard work, and perseverance, adding that the university had successfully prepared them to confront global challenges with competence, character, and creativity.
According to the Vice Chancellor, the institution maintains its status as Nigeria’s premier university and remains among Africa’s most prestigious, stating, “The University of Ibadan has trained you to seize future opportunities with confidence and integrity.”
Adebowale highlighted that UI’s Postgraduate College, which is noted as the largest in Africa, continues its crucial role in producing high-level manpower essential for national and global development, while the newly established Faculty of Computing positions the institution at the forefront of digital innovation.
He acknowledged the economic and infrastructural challenges currently facing the nation but commended the resilience demonstrated by Nigeria’s scholars and students, affirming that the spirit of innovation continues to drive UI’s progress and sustain its leading role in higher education.
He also highlighted recent accomplishments by UI’s staff and students in international research, fellowships, and competitions, which he said demonstrated the institution’s unwavering commitment to excellence and relevance in the modern knowledge economy.
In his keynote address, Dr. Abel Adegoke, a UK-based medical practitioner and alumnus, urged the new graduates to fully embrace resilience, service, and integrity, advising them to view challenges as necessary stepping stones toward personal and professional growth.
Dr. Adegoke offered the advice: ”True growth does not come from comfort. Go into the world not as job seekers but as solution creators. The world awaits the light of your brilliance,” he said.
One of the accomplished graduates, Ayodeji Adeyemi, who studied European Studies with a focus on French, enjoined his colleagues to look beyond just obtaining certificates and instead prioritize the other valuable qualities that UI stands for.
Adeyemi shared his experience, testifying, ”I thank God for where the weight of that name (UI) has carried me to. It has carried me to where I am currently serving as a corps member at the ECOWAS Commission office of CIS precisely. The name has made room for me,” he said.
