The Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, announced that a total of 12,624 students graduated during the institution’s 29th and 30th combined convocation ceremonies, held from April 10 to April 18, 2026. He described the event as significant, as it marked his first convocation since assuming office, and noted that the ceremonies featured activities such as a Juma’at prayer, an inter denominational church service, a faculty innovation showcase, and lectures on drug awareness, climate change, and artificial intelligence in financial technology.
The main convocation ceremonies were held on April 17 for first degrees and April 18 for higher degrees at the Convocation Square, during which honorary doctorate degrees, honoris causa, were conferred on Professor Yusuff Olaolu Ali, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Paul Odili, and Mr Emmanuel Ayuba Iza for their contributions to society. The Vice Chancellor stated that the university remains proud of its graduates, who were trained in both knowledge and character.
Providing a breakdown, he said 7,158 students graduated from the 2022, 2023 academic session, while 5,466 graduated from the 2023, 2024 session. The 2022, 2023 set recorded 48 first class graduates, 2,048 second class upper, 4,418 second class lower, and 644 third class, while the 2023, 2024 set produced 29 first class graduates, 1,395 second class upper, 3,091 second class lower, and 951 third class. He added that the overall best graduating students from both sets would be offered automatic employment at the university.
Fawehinmi highlighted the university’s growth, with a current student population of nearly 40,000 and projections to reach 50,000 by 2030, while stressing the need for infrastructural expansion. He acknowledged past leadership challenges but expressed satisfaction with the restored stability, noting achievements in accreditation, research funding, staff promotion, and infrastructure development. He also raised concerns about funding constraints and land encroachment but expressed confidence that, through strategic planning and strong partnerships, the university will continue to progress toward becoming a world class institution.