The Rivers State University has disclosed that a total of 120 students will be awarded First Class Degrees during its 36th convocation slated for this weekend.

The institution also stated that the convocation would mark the graduation of the first set of Nursing graduates and a total of 8,920 students overall.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nlerum Okognule, disclosed this during a pre-convocation press briefing at his office in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday.

Okogbule stated, “This year’s convocation is special because it will be recording two significant events in the historical trajectory of the university.

“First, it will be the last convocation where I will be presiding as Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University. This is because my five-year tenure as Vice Chancellor of the university will terminate on March 4, 2025.

“Second, it will witness the graduation of the first set of Nursing graduates from the university. Indeed the Nursing graduates were recently inducted as professional Nurses by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

“This is a landmark achievement not only for the university but also for the Rivers State Government which is massively supporting the Medical College and the university.”

He added, “It will also serve as a forerunner to another first in the significant event to be witnesses in this university, namely the graduation and induction of the first set of medical doctors from the university by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria scheduled for January 2025.”

On the activities lined up for the ceremony, the VC said the convocation will witness the award of Higher and Bachelor’s Degrees as well as Post Graduate Diplomas to deserving students at the university.

Okogbule said, “Bachelors Degree will be awarded on Friday, December 13, 2024, while Higher Degrees will be awarded on Saturday, December 14, 2024.”

He explained that the arrangement is to address the issue of overcrowding and reduce the time spent on each day of the convocation.

Okogbule continued, “There will be a convocation lecture which will be delivered by a distinguished son of Nigeria and former Vice Chancellor of Utmandan Fodio University, Prof. Lawal Suleiman, on Thursday, December 12, 2024.

“The title of the convocation lecture is  ‘Emerging Technologies in Reshaping the Future of Education and Learning Environment’.”

On the statistics of graduating students, he said,” At this convocation, we will be graduating a total of 8, 920 graduands.

“The breakdown is as follows. Bachelors Degrees, First Class, 120. Second Class Honours Upper Division,  1,962. Second Class Honours Lower Division, 4, 017.

“Third Class, 757, Pass Degree 58, bringing the total to 6, 708 for undergraduates.

“For the Higher Degrees, we will be graduating Post Graduate Diplomas 743, Masters Degree, 1,195. Doctor of Philosophy, PhD Degrees, 442, bringing the total for the Post Graduate Degrees to 2, 212. The total is 8, 920.”

The Vice-Chancellor commended the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for the numerous and continued support to the institution that had seen it grow from strength to strength.

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