From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Twenty-four graduating students of the Federal University, Lokoja, will on Saturday, 14th November, 2026, be conferred with First Class Degrees at its 10th convocation ceremony.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye disclosed this at the Pre-convocation Press briefing held at the Felele Campus of the institution on Monday.
Professor Ibileye said that of the 4,838 first degree recipients, 24 got First Class Degrees , 881, Second Class Upper and 2,928 Second Class Lower while 953 will receive Third Class Honors.
He also disclosed that 182 students will receive diplomas and 628 others will bag Postgraduate qualifications.
He said that the largest graduating class is from the Faculty of Life Sciences, with 1,024 graduands, followed by the Faculty of Education with 806 and the Faculty of Arts with 773.
At the postgraduate level, the Vice-Chancellor hinted that the University will award 46 Postgraduate Diplomas, 162 Professional Master’s degrees, 238 Academic Master’s degrees and 182 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.
“We will also have the privilege of conferring honorary degrees on three distinguished Nigerians in recognition of their outstanding contributions to commerce, industry, journalism, and humanity.
“These degrees will be conferred during the convocation on Saturday, 14 November 2026. The honourees are Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, an entrepreneur whose business interests span aviation, oil and gas, transportation, manufacturing, and cement production; Chief Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, businesswoman and Iyaloja-General, widely known for her advocacy on behalf of market women and small-scale traders; and Mr Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, Director of News at TVC and a prince of Ekirin-Adde in Kogi State, whose distinguished career in journalism spans more than three decades and is marked by fearless investigative reporting.
Professor Ibileye told journalists that since assumption of office on 15th February, 2026, eight programmes have secured full accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC)
The courses that have received full accreditation he said included; Mass Communication, Computer Science, Education Mathematics, Integrated Science, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Microbiology and Sociology while ten more programmes are currently undergoing accreditation.
“The University is also expanding its academic offerings in response to emerging national and global needs. Following resource verification by the NUC, fourteen new programmes were approved and have admitted their pioneer students for the 2026/2027 academic session.
“These programmes include Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Science, Software Engineering, Actuarial Science, Procurement Management, Psychology, Social Work, Criminology and Security Studies, Entrepreneurship Studies, Film and Multimedia Studies, Broadcasting Journalism, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Agricultural Economics.
“Our guiding principle is straightforward: Expansion must never outpace quality. Growth must be matched by the resources, systems and capabilities required to sustain it, and every certificate awarded by this University must command confidence wherever it is presented
“We will continue to strengthen academic quality, expand research and innovation, improve infrastructure, deepen partnerships, support our staff and students, and ensure that the University remains responsive to the needs of society and worthy of the confidence reposed in it by the nation” Professor Ibileye assured.
