THE UNIVERSITY of Benin (UNIBEN) says there are 198 first-class among its record-breaking 14,083 first-degree graduands produced for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Prof. Edoba Omoregie, Vice-Chancellor of the university, announced this on Monday during a news conference to herald the 51st Convocation and 55th Founders’ Day of the institution.
According to him, the 2024/2025 graduands is the highest in the 55-year history of the institution.
The vice-chancellor said the exceptional performance reflected the renewed academic drive across faculties and departments.
“These results are indicative of the seriousness of staff and students in ensuring that our university marches on with vigour,” he said.
He among the first-degree recipients, 4,217 students bagged Second Class Upper, 7,928, Second Class Lower, while 578 graduated with Third Class.
He added that 104 students graduated with Distinctions and 221, with Credit in diploma and certificate categories.
Omoregie also said that the university would award 1,780 higher degrees, including 334 PhDs, 1,008 Masters, and 423 Postgraduate Diplomas.
He described the postgraduate output as a dramatic 600 per cent increase from the 241 higher-degree graduands in 2023/2024 academic session.
He said the academic year also saw the establishment of five new faculties, including Communication & Media Studies, Computer & Information Science, and Nursing Sciences, alongside 15 new NUC-approved programmes.
The new programmes, according to him, are Cybersecurity, Data Science, Film and Multimedia Studies, Development Studies, and Public Health.
“We expect that prospective candidates will utilise the opportunity offered by the institution to develop themselves along the lines of these new programmes,” he said.
The vice chancellor celebrated the achievements of scholars and students who attracted international grants and won national competitions.
He also revealed ongoing infrastructural development in the institution to include a new senate building, modern hostels, solar-powered mini-grids, an EV charging station, and major renovations of classrooms and hostels.
“We remain committed to massive development and to an environmentally friendly campus,” he said, noting the planting of 5,000 trees under the Green Uniben initiative.
He said the university recently received federal approval to employ 500 new staff members, ending a decade-long employment stagnation.
“We are indeed grateful for empowering us to put smiles on the faces of the people, especially youths,” he said.
On the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), he acknowledged that the enrollment in the school rose from about 300 to 6,560 within one academic session.
“We must applaud the President for establishing NELFUND and significantly reducing the financial stress of students,” the vice-chancellor said.
He added that UNIBEN was firmly on a path of expansion and renewed excellence.
According to him, the wheel of progress is on course and moving steadily. This administration is poised to deliver on its mandate of effective, practical teaching, sound learning, result-oriented research and impactful community service,” he said. (NAN)
