A total of 7,684 students will graduate at the 10th convocation of the Federal University of OyevEkiti, FUOYE, on Saturday.
The number includes 7,396 undergraduate and 288 postgraduate students, according to the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abayomi Fasina.
He disclosed the figure on Monday during a pre-convocation press conference ahead of the convocation ceremony.
A breakdown of the graduating undergraduate students shows that 131 earned first class honours, 2,519 obtained second class upper, 3,777 graduated with second class lower, 966 earned third class degrees, while three students obtained pass degrees.
Fasona said the institution has recorded significant academic and infrastructural growth over the past five years.
He said that FUOYE has introduced 24 new academic programmes and developed a 25-year strategic roadmap to guide the university’s long-term growth and sustainability.
Besides ,over 160 projects have been executed across the university’s campuses, alongside the establishment of 10 centres and affiliated colleges across the country, aimed at expanding academic reach and boosting revenue generation.
The Vice Chancellor noted that when he assumed office, the university had about 20,000 students, but the population has grown to over 60,000 during his five-year tenure.
On academic standards, the he disclosed ed that 91 academic programmes have been fully accredited, while the pharmacy, radiography and statistics programmes are still undergoing the accreditation process.
Also, he disclosed that the university has procured training and conference equipment worth $55,600 to enhance capacity building for staff and students, as well as to further strengthen the institution’s research capacity.
He said that FUOYE has recorded a remarkable 310 per cent increase in internally generated revenue (IGR), significantly strengthening its financial sustainability.
Looking ahead, he said the university would place greater emphasis on information and communication technology (ICT) and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching, learning and research.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed the need for sustained and proactive engagement with regulatory bodies and relevant government authorities, while calling for the diversification of revenue through grants, partnerships, endowments and consultancy services.
He said the university has introduced an Emeritus Professors Policy to recognise outstanding academic leadership and service.
Under the policy, former Vice-Chancellors of the university will be conferred with the title of Emeritus Professor upon retirement.
At the convocation ceremony, the honour will be bestowed on Professors Chinedu Nebo, Isaac Asuzu, and Kayode Soremekun.
The Vice-Chancellor added that he would also be eligible for the Emeritus Professorship upon attaining the age of 70.
He also urged stakeholders to support the FUOYE 2050 Endowment Fund, describing it as critical to the institution’s future development, and emphasised the importance of promoting, celebrating and incentivising innovative and high-impact research beyond career advancement.
