Achievers University Owo to graduate 836 students, 98 with first class

Achievers University, Owo in Ondo State will graduate 836 students at its 16th convocation, with 98 of them leaving with first-class degrees.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Omolola Irinoye, announced the figures at a press briefing in Owo on Friday. The class is made up of 786 undergraduates and 50 postgraduate students.

Among the undergraduates, 423 finished with Second Class Upper, 229 with Second Class Lower and 36 with Third Class.

Nursing Science produced the most undergraduates with 191, followed by Computer Science (HIM) with 64. Law and Medical Laboratory Science each had 61, while Accounting had 56 and Human Anatomy 41.

The 50 postgraduate graduates are 25 Master of Science students, 22 in doctoral or combined MPhil/PhD programmes, and three Postgraduate Diploma students.

Why the first-class numbers matter to families

Private universities are often accused of handing out too many first-class degrees compared with public institutions. Irinoye rejected that, saying the school spends heavily on quality assurance and does not apologise for its results.

She said students must meet 70 per cent class attendance and complete their continuous assessment before they can sit examinations. A quality assurance unit, she added, monitors both lecturers and students.

The vice-chancellor also asked the Federal Government to open the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to private university students, saying many of their parents are not wealthy and struggle to pay fees.

"Our students are not benefiting from NELFUND. We don't benefit from TETFund," she said.

She also called for a review of taxes on private universities, which she said add to the burden on schools and parents.

According to her, the university has full-tuition scholarships for some programmes and other awards covering 65 to 80 per cent of fees, with at least 500 students helped since it was founded in 2007.

On medicine, she said the yearly admission quota has risen from 50 to 120, students recorded an 86 per cent pass rate in the Part I MBBS examination, and a 450-room medical hostel has been provided.

She said the university has signed a memorandum of understanding with PowerGen Renewable Energy for a solar farm, and has approved the new national minimum wage for its staff.

What happens next

Activities start on Saturday, October 24 with a White Coat Ceremony for 91 medical students. Inductions follow for engineers, public health, medical laboratory science and nursing graduates between October 26 and 29.

The convocation lecture will be delivered on October 30 by Dr Emomotimi Agama, Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Degrees and prizes will be presented on October 31, when honorary doctorates go to the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo; Captain Edward Boyo; and Engr. Norbert C. Oleah. A thanksgiving service closes the events on November 1.