Osinbajo to deliver UNILAG 50th convocation lecture

…As varsity churns out 271 First Class

Esther Taiwo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will on April 1 deliver the 2017/2018 Convocation Lecture of the University of Lagos.

This is as part of activities to mark the 50th edition of the Convocation ceremonies in the university.

Professor Osinbajo is expected to speak on the topic titled, “Nigeria Rising: The Path to Prosperity.”

The Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, expressed excitement over the development after the initial postponement of the ceremonies following the three-month strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

It would be recalled that UNILAG had to postpone the convocation programmes billed for 21st January owing to the prolonged closure of academic activities on campus.

Ogundipe declared that the university was “fully ready and excited that the event will eventually hold.”

“We are going to start the event proper with the lecture to be delivered by one of our own, in the person of the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo.”

The Convocation Lecture would be chaired by business mogul, Prince Arthur Eze.

Among the guests expected at the lecture is the Vice President of the Republic of the Gambia, Hon. Ousainou Darboe, who like Osinbajo, is an alumnus of the institution.

During his visit to the university he once taught in its Law faculty. Osinbajo is also expected to commission some ongoing projects on campus.

Ogundipe said: “We actually have various projects that are ongoing on campus, among which is the CBN project, donated by the CBN to this institution.

“This project comprises lecture rooms that are going to be of the 21st generation standard, IT compliant whereby one can be in the US for instance and be delivering lectures to students over here seamlessly.

“We also have the new Pharmacy Building and the Faculty of Social Science lecture rooms, the Fire Station and the Library.”

Aside the convocation lecture, other activities for the four-day programme between 1st and 5th April include the award of degrees and diplomas to graduates at undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as a long service award that would come up on the last day of the ceremonies.

Meanwhile, about 271 students will be graduating with first-class degrees in various disciplines at the institution’s 50th convocation ceremonies scheduled for between Monday, April 1st and Thursday, April 4th.

The number is part of the total 12,811 students (for the 2017/2018 academic session) across levels-diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate studies-who made the graduation list with others scoring lower grades.