The University of Calabar, UNICAL, will graduate 7,769 students at its 35th convocation on Friday and Saturday.
Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, made the announcement on Monday in Calabar while outlining events for the week-long convocation.
Obi said that Friday was for the conferral of first degrees, diplomas, master’s degrees, and postgraduate degrees, as well as the induction of UNICAL alumni for individuals deemed worthy in character and learning.
She said that the awarding of doctorates and honorary degrees to meritorious students and honorees was set for Saturday.
According to her, the institution’s 6th Chancellor, Alhaji Aminu Ado-Bayero, the Emir of Kano, would be installed on Thursday.
Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, will give the convocation talk, according to the UNICAL Vice Chancellor.
The convocation theme, according to her, is “The Leadership and Followership Question in Nigeria: Imperative or Ethical Re-Orientation.”
“For our university’s 35th UNICAL convocation, we are pleased to announce that 11 students received first class, 899 received second class upper, 3,396 received second class lower, and 721 received third class.”
“We also have 519 students pursuing doctorates, 1,078 pursuing master’s degrees, and 556 pursuing postgraduate diplomas, among other things.”
“For our sandwich programme, 162 students received second class upper and 251 received second class lower,” she said.
The VC also stated that the university’s senate has approved three individuals for honorary doctorate (honoris causa) degrees.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Nigeria, Mrs. Winifred Akpani, Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Petroleum, and Ms. Tola Johnson, a businesswoman and champion for women’s and youth development, among others, she added.
She praised Jonathan as a modest gentleman who prioritises Nigeria above all other personal concerns, describing him as a uniting influence in Nigeria, Africa, and the globe at large.
She thanked UNICAL’s employees and students for their support, and said that the institution will continue to strive for academic achievement and great research under her leadership.
