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The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Ademola Tayo, in his
address, noted that of the total figure, 2,065 undergraduates received their
diplomas and degrees, while 415 graduated from the postgraduate school.
This is as the National Universities Commission (NUC), the
regulatory agency for universities in Nigeria, has urged academic institutions
to “keep adapting to meet the shifting demands of our society in the constantly
changing environment of higher education.”
Giving the details of the graduands, the vice-chancellor
said a total of 136 bagged First Class, with the duo of Nancy Philip and Ngozi
Oluwatayo emerging as the best graduands, as they recorded 4.95 and 4.51
Cumulative Gradient Point Average (CGPAs), respectively.
While Ms Philip emerged as the best graduand for the
full-time programme, Ms Oluwatayo was for the part-time degree programme.
Mr Tayo, a professor, described this year’s convocation
ceremonies as unique, even as he commended the promoters of the institution for
what he described as their foresight and unwavering commitment to its
sustainability.
He said: “We proudly celebrate over two decades of
unwavering commitment to nurturing young minds and transforming them into
competent, compassionate, and responsible leaders of tomorrow. This year’s
graduation is unique in the sense that we have eminent personalities graduating
from our postgraduate programmes. We have notable personalities such as a High
Court Judge, Managing Directors of reputable organisations, Chief Medical
Director of a University Teaching Hospital, Provosts of Colleges and Heads of
Departments from various universities graduating today.
“Also, this graduation is unique because it is the first
time that the university is producing her PhD graduates in Nursing, History,
Economics and Finance.”
The vice-chancellor, who reeled out a series of achievements
recorded by the institution, which was established in 1999, said within its 21
years of existence, it had produced quality graduates who he noted have
continued to impact the world positively.
He said as of Sunday, its wide range of 40 undergraduate and
postgraduate programmes offered had been accredited by NUC, the International
Board of Education (IBE), and the Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA) in
the USA.
He said the university recently got another five-year full
accreditation status for its Family and Community Medicine programme from the
West African College of Physicians and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of
Nigeria.
The VC, who boasted of its students’ excellent performance
at both national and international competitions, said 12 of its candidates for
the final Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) examination
graduated with distinctions, adding that “Belusochi Joe-Ikechebelu emerged as
the overall best medical graduate and the winner of the Best Graduating Medical
Student Award instituted by Professor Joseph Ikechebelu.”
NUC’s charge
The Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki, who
was represented at the event by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the
administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to implementing policies
that will transform university education in Nigeria.
He said as part of its mandate to regulate the programmes
and activities of the universities NUC recently embarked on “curriculum
re-engineering from Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) to Core
Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS)”.
The innovation, he noted, allows universities to develop 30
per cent of their programmes to suit their local peculiarities.
He said: “By implementing policies and making significant
expenditures aimed at bolstering our higher education institutions, the Federal
Government, and in fact the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
GCFR, are prepared to transform the educational landscape.
“The President is passionate about promoting infrastructure
development and providing funds for cutting-edge, demand-driven research. To
solve the ongoing crisis in universities, it is also his key priority to ensure
the welfare of the faculty and students at higher education institutions. Let
me also add that the core of Mr President’s agenda is to help our teeming
youngsters, such as these graduating students, to create the ideal conditions
for them to develop their creative ideas into successful global enterprises.”
He also commended Babcock University for “creating
entrepreneurial minds, as demonstrated by Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi, who
graduated from the university and went on to start Paystack, a global financial
technology platform.”
“The Federal Government is still dedicated to working in
collaboration with universities like Babcock University to maintain our
educational system’s leadership in development and innovation,” he said.
Dignitaries
Some of the dignitaries who graced the event included the
Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi; Liberia’s Education Minister, Dao Sonii, a
professor; Chief Executive Officer of an America-based firm- Axxess, John
Olajide; the university’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council,
Yohanna Harry, a pastor, and the Chancellor and Chairman of the university’s
Board of Trustees, Robert Osei-Bonsu, among others.
The prominent figures commended the university management
for maintaining the standard and consistency in its approach to changing the
narrative of university education in Nigeria and Africa.