Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, will graduate 324 students at its eighth convocation ceremony, with 69 of them earning first-class degrees.
While 281 graduates are from the regular programme, with 53 earning first-class degrees, 43 graduates are from the university’s Centre for Distance Learning and Executive Programmes, with 16 also obtaining first-class degrees.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Oyedunni Arulogun, disclosed this at a press conference held on Monday ahead of the institution’s convocation ceremony scheduled for October 27, 2026.
According to the classification of results for the regular programmes, Arulogun said, “142 graduands obtained second-class upper degrees, representing 50.5 per cent of the total, while 78 earned second-class lower degrees, accounting for 27.8 per cent, while 8 students, representing 2.8 per cent, graduated with third-class degrees.
“The figures showed that 53 first-class graduates constitute 18.9 per cent of the 281 graduands from the regular programmes.
“For the university’s Centre for Distance Learning and Executive Programmes (CEDLEP), 16 of the 43 graduands obtained first-class degrees, representing 37.2 per cent, while 19 earned second-class upper degrees, accounting for 44.2 per cent. The remaining eight graduands obtained second-class lower degrees, representing 18.6 per cent.”
The VC said the university’s educational philosophy was centred on equipping students with the knowledge, skills and values needed to address emerging societal challenges, stressing that academic qualifications must translate into tangible contributions to society.
“Our commitment is not expansion merely for numbers. Growth must be matched by quality, relevance and sustainability,” the vice-chancellor said.
She explained that the theme of the eighth convocation, “Next-Gen Minds. Next-Level Impact,” reflected the need to prepare graduates for a rapidly changing world shaped by artificial intelligence, digital technology, entrepreneurship, climate change, public health challenges and economic uncertainty.
According to her, universities must look beyond the number of graduates they produce and focus more on what the graduates can accomplish with the knowledge acquired.
“The more important question is, ‘What can our graduates do with what they know?’ At Chrisland University, we believe that knowledge must ultimately translate into impact,” she said.
The vice-chancellor also announced that the convocation lecture, titled “Beyond the Degree: Next-Generation Leadership, Innovation and Impact in a Changing World,” would be delivered by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako.
She said the lecture’s theme underscored the importance of competence, character, creativity and the ability to solve problems beyond the possession of academic certificates.
“A certificate can open a door, but what keeps that door open is competence, character, creativity and the capacity to deliver value,” Arulogun said.
She added that the university would recognise outstanding graduands through prizes and awards for academic excellence, leadership, innovation and service.
Arulogun described the graduands’ achievements as the outcome of years of hard work and sacrifice by the students, their parents and guardians, as well as the commitment of the university’s academic and non-academic staff.
Beyond the convocation, the vice-chancellor outlined eight priority areas guiding the university’s development, including academic expansion, health and allied health education, research, entrepreneurship, digital and artificial intelligence education, infrastructure, character development and international visibility.
On research, she said the university was encouraging academics to pursue studies capable of addressing practical challenges and influencing public policy, industry and community development.
She added that the university was promoting entrepreneurship and innovation to prepare students not only to seek employment but also to create opportunities and generate jobs.
On artificial intelligence, Arulogun said universities could no longer afford to treat emerging technologies as distant developments, noting that AI was already transforming several professions, including healthcare, finance, communication, law and business.
She stressed that technological advancement must not come at the expense of human values, adding that the university remained committed to producing graduates who combined intellectual competence with moral rectitude.