OAU Celebrates 47th Convocation and prepares to host 2023 West African Universities Games.

By Ridwaan Sanusi

47th Convocation: 158 Students Bagged First Class In OAU

The 47th convocation ceremony of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, was a momentous occasion for the university community. A total of 7,986 graduates were celebrated, with 158 students achieving the prestigious honor of a First Class degree.

For Bachelor Degrees, 158 made First Class (Honours), while 1,970 made 2nd Class (Honours, Upper Division), 2,906 made 2nd Class (Honours, Lower Division), and 942 were in the 3rd Class (Honours) category. 65 graduands earned a pass. The postgraduate programs also saw impressive results, with 56 graduates receiving Postgraduate Diplomas, 444 earning Professional Masters degrees, 92 graduating with Master’s Degrees, 415 obtaining Master of Science degrees, and 22 receiving Master of Philosophy degrees. The highlight was the conferment of 247 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.

The convocation saw the recognition of outstanding individuals through the conferment of honorary Doctorate degrees. Dr. Anastasios Paul Leventis, Chairman of A. G. Leventis Foundation and Director of Leventis Group International Companies received a Doctor of Science (DSc, Honoris Causa), while Prof. Toyin Falola, renowned historian and a Professor of African Studies was honored with a Doctor of Letters (D. Litt, Honoris Causa). The two awardees hold several honorary degrees from various universities in Nigeria.

Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, Mr. Zacch Adedeji, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), was among the PhD graduates. He received his doctorate degree alongside 246 other proud PhD recipients.

Furthermore, the excitement continued beyond the convocation as OAU prepared to host the 2023 West African Universities Games (WAUG). The games, scheduled to begin on Saturday, December 16, 2023, will see student-athletes from universities across West Africa compete in various sporting events such as tennis, table tennis, basketball, and athletics. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, will be the special guest of honor at the opening and closing ceremonies.

This will mark a significant moment for OAU, as it will be the first university to host the WAUG games twice. It previously hosted the event in 1975, making it the sixth edition of the competition.