By Kelvin Obambon
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has disclosed that the President of the Nigerian Senate Godswill Akpabio and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, will be among the 13,786 people who will be awarded degrees at the 37th Convocation of the institution.
The Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi, who made this known on Monday during a press briefing in Calabar, stated that Akpabio, Wike, Uloma Akpabio, Governor Bassey Otu, Major Gen. Moses Obi, Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim and Prince Arthur Eze would be awarded Honorary Doctorate Degrees.
The 37th Convocation is viewed by the University community as unique because it coincides with the 50th-anniversary celebration of UNICAL. The event will take place from March 17 to March 23, 2025, featuring various activities aimed at celebrating the institution’s achievements and recognising its outstanding alumni, staff and students.
Obi, whose administration is winding down in a few months, revealed that the University of Calabar, since its founding in 1975, has churned out 168,786 graduates in diverse areas of human endeavour. She said the 37th Convocation which is obviously the last she will perform as head of the institution, would see a total of 13,786 persons conferred with various degrees.
According to her, “On Friday, March 21st is a day set aside for the award of Master’s, First Degrees and Diplomas as well as induction into UNICAL Alumni Association. The event is slated for 11am at the Abraham Odiah Stadium, University of Calabar. We are expecting 12,726 graduands for the Friday convocation. The breakdown shows that 181 will be receiving diploma certificates, 11,725 will be receiving first degrees, 877 will be receiving Master’s Degrees, 572 will be having PhDs, and 249 will be having postgraduate diplomas. And we have 7, for the first time in the history of the University, who will be awarded post-doctoral diplomas in education.
“Further breakdown of the two convocation events – the one on Friday and the one on Saturday, shows that, in all, we will have 13,786 graduates. Out of this, 66 students have first class, the highest in the history of the University; 3,054 will have second-class upper, 7,450 will have second-class lower, 925 will have a third class, and 7 will have passed. For the diploma certificates, 4 graduates will be awarded distinction, 135 will have merit and 42 will have credit.”
The VC reaffirmed the university’s commitment to producing graduates equipped to compete globally, stating that “as an institution, we remain focused on academic excellence, research and community impact.”