The University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State has produced 178 First Class graduands in the 2020/2021 academic session.

The UNIBEN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lilian Salami, disclosed this at a press briefing to herald the activities commemorating the 48th convocation and 53rd founder’s day of the institution in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Thursday.

Salami stated that a total of 14,254 graduands would be awarded degrees while 4,045 would be conferred with postgraduate degrees.

The VC said: “These accomplishments could not have been achieved without the commitment of staff and the deliberate efforts by management to put in place requisite academic infrastructure that have ensured that graduates of the University of Benin continue to shine and to positively influence their world.

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“In that regard the university boasts of cutting – edge Information Communications Technology, advancement of our Centres of Excellence, successful accreditation of the university’s programmes and courses by the National University’s Commission NUC and other Professional bodies as well as compliance with the new National Education Policy on Core Curriculum Minimum Academic standards (CCMAS).”

The UNIBEN Vice-Chancellor said seven personalities would also be honoured with doctoral degrees of the institution at the ceremony.

Four of these honourarees, she said, were alumni of the university who were deemed fit due to their contributions to national development.

She listed the awardees to include a former governor of Lagos State and immediate past Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN); Wife of the Edo State Governor, Betsy Obaseki; and Chief Charles Edosomwan (SAN).

Others are Olukayode Dotun-Adegbulugbe, Osaro Isokpan, Paul Enebeli and an engineer, Gbenga Komolafe, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Prof. Mike Kwanashie, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Veritas University in Abuja, Salami said, would deliver the founders’ day and convocation lecture, titled “Governance and Crisis of Development”.

The Star