47 bag first class as Wellspring graduates 404

A graduating student of Wellspring University, Benin, Edo State, Popo Atorerefa Nancy, has emerged as the institution’s best graduating student with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.98 on a 5.0 scale, as 47 other graduands secured First Class Honours at the university’s 14th convocation ceremony held at the weekend.

Nancy, who graduated from the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, was among 294 first-degree recipients honoured at the ceremony, which also saw the graduation of 110 postgraduate students, bringing the total number of graduands to 404.

Giving a breakdown of the first-degree results at the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Isaac Rotimi Ajayi, said 145 graduands obtained Second Class Upper Division, 91 earned Second Class Lower Division, while 11 graduated with Third Class Honours.

The academic performance comes amid growing calls for Nigerian universities to strengthen academic standards, promote excellence and produce graduates equipped with the knowledge and skills required to compete in an increasingly demanding global economy.

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Beyond undergraduate achievements, the ceremony marked a historic milestone in the university’s development with the graduation of its first doctoral degree holders, comprising 15 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) recipients and two Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) graduates.

Ajayi described the pioneer doctoral graduations as evidence of the university’s growing capacity for postgraduate education and research, urging the scholars to advance knowledge, mentor younger academics and contribute to national development through their respective fields.

He also disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had approved new academic programmes, including Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Community Health Science and Health Information Management, as the institution expands its contribution to professional training.

In his address, the Chancellor of the university, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, challenged the graduands to look beyond their certificates and embrace the responsibility of using their education to improve society.

He noted that the world they were entering was being reshaped by artificial intelligence, climate change, geopolitical shifts and economic uncertainty.

Ighodalo urged them to build their careers with diligence, serve their communities with generosity and contribute to Nigeria’s progress with patriotism, integrity and excellence, stressing that academic qualifications must be matched by character and a sense of responsibility.

The convocation lecture, titled “The University and the Future: Educated Minds in an Era of Disruption and Opportunity,” was delivered by the Director-General of the Dangerous Goods Academy, Lagos, Dr Alban Igwe.

Igwe addressed the changing role of universities in preparing graduates to exercise sound judgement and respond to emerging challenges.