The University of Lagos has announced that 15,753 students will graduate during its 51st convocation ceremony, which will take place from July 6 to 8.

Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, the Institution’s Vice Chancellor, said this at a pre-convocation news conference on Wednesday in Lagos, saying that 281 of the graduates will earn first-class degrees.

Mr Ogundipe said that the best graduate, Alimi Adedeji of the Faculty of Science, had a cumulative gradient point average (CGPA) of 4.98 out of a possible 5 points.

“Let me also add that a female graduand, Opeyemi Popoola, of the department of economics is this year’s best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.90,” the vice-chancellor said.

Despite the scourge of the coronavirus epidemic, the vice-chancellor said the university had garnered more than N14 billion in research funds for academic and non-academic projects.

This year’s convocation event comes more than a year after the ceremony was abruptly canceled due to “personal interest,” according to Mr. Ogundipe

He said; “You all recall that on Monday, March 2, 2020 we were gathered in this Chamber to commence activities for the 51st Convocation Ceremonies of the University scheduled then to hold from March 9-12, 2020, but as it turned out, the Ceremonies were cancelled as a result of the personal interest of some individuals. You were all aware that it was the erstwhile Pro-Chancellor, Olawale Babalakin, that misinformed the Ministry of Education and caused the convocation Ceremonies to be cancelled.

“The cost of the cancellation financially, emotionally and materially cannot be measured.

“This event represented a dark moment in the history of our university, but it was also an opportunity for us to learn new lessons on how to strengthen our institutions and processes.”

Mr Ogundipe said following the cancellation of the convocation, the school management could not access funds, budget was not approved, and the “general administration of the University reached its lowest ebb.”

He thanked the federal government and the institution’s Visitor, President Muhammadu Buhari, for their assistance during the crisis, and he “empathizes with the graduating students who have had to wait this long to finally convene.”

According to the vice-chancellor, a total of 15,753 students will graduate over the three-day convocation.

He also announced that a 71-year-old student will become the school’s oldest Ph.D. recipient in its history.