282 Bag First Class as LASU Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Funmi Ogundare

As Lagos State University prepares to hold its 40th anniversary celebration and 26th convocation, the institution will on June 22 at the Buba Marwa Auditorium confer honorary doctorate and appreciation award on eight eminent Nigerians “who have made valuable contributions to the development of the university and the country at large.”

A total of 10,183 students of the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic sessions will also be graduating from the institution with 282 bagging first class honours.

Those to receive honorary degrees are former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), who will be conferred with Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Urban and Rural Community Development and Youth Empowerment); wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, will be conferred with Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Child Healthcare, Environmental Development and Women Empowerment); HRM Oba Alayeluwa Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, will receive the Honorary Doctor of Arts (Broadcasting, Community Integration and Human Rights Advocate), while the General Overseer, Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, will also receive Honorary Doctor of Science (Genetics and Biotechnology).

Others are former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Olukayode Fayemi, who will be conferred with the Honorary Doctor of Letters (Human Rights, National Integration and African Security Development); the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Hon. Olufemi Gbajabiamila, will receive the Honorary Doctor of Law (Education, Community and National Development); HRM Oba Suleiman Adeshina Raji Ashade I will receive the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Grassroots Development), as well as former Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Victoria Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who will be honoured with an appreciation award.

 Briefing journalists yesterday on the activities which will kick off today with a convocation sports competition for staff, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, expressed excitement over the number of students who made first class and the best graduating students for the two academic sessions this year-Feyisayo Divine Lopez of the Department of Physiology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, with a CPGA of 4.91, and Aminat Imoitesemeh Yusuf of the Department of Law with CPGA of 5.0.

According to her, “With the total of 282 first class students in the two academic sessions, the university is therefore graduating its highest number of first class in its 40 years history.”

The VC emphasised on some of its achievements, including academic development, research, and ICT innovations, saying her administration embarked on great strides to make the university a research, innovation, and development hub for the state and Nigeria.

Bello said: “We encourage academic staff members to pursue research works in their fields of specialisation with a view to making the outcomes of such research works available to the industries and governments for national economic growth.”

Other activities slated for the convocation include Jumat Service on June 16 at the University Central Mosque, Special Thanksgiving Service on June 18 at the University Chapel of Light, as well as coconut breaking and cultural festival at the Badagry Gate entrance, main campus, on June 19 and command performance and convocation play on the same day.

The convocation lecture titled: ‘The Impact of Digitalisation on Higher Education in the Digital Age’, will be delivered on June 20 by the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFund), Sonny Echono, while the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission ( NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, is expected to chair the occasion.