115 Students Bag First Class As Bowen University Sets For 19th Convocation

Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, will on Saturday, November 02, 2024, hold its 19th convocation ceremony where 901 graduands will be conferred with underground and postgraduate degrees.

Speaking during a press briefing held at the Seminar Room, Timothy Olagbemiro University Library on Wednesday, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor J. O. Babalola, disclosed that 115 students will graduate with first-class honors.

Professor Babalola noted that the graduands are ready to contribute meaningfully to their professions and the wider community.

According to him, the addition of the 901 graduands will raise the total number of graduates of the university to 17,686 since its first convocation in 2006.

He added that the graduands have worked hard, adding that their success is a testament to their dedication and the support of their families, friends and the institution.

Giving a breakdown of the graduands, Professor Babalola said, “For Undergraduate Degrees,115 students will graduate with First Class Honors, 323 students will graduate with a Second Class, Upper Division, 192 students will graduate with a Second Class, Lower Division, 65 students will graduate with a Third Class, and 7 students will graduate with a Pass.

“In the MB;BS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) program which is an unclassified
degree, 56 students will graduate, with 4 distinctions awarded for outstanding performance.

“In the fields of Nursing and Physiotherapy, which are also unclassified degrees, 14 students will graduate with a Distinction, 90 students will graduate with a Credit, and 4 students will graduate with a Pass.

“For Postgraduate Degrees, 10 candidates will earn a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD), 13 candidates will complete a Master’s Degree (M.Sc/MBA), and 12 scholars will be awarded a Doctorate (Ph.D).

“These 901 graduates are being honored at this convocation, ready to contribute meaningfully to their professions and the wider community.”

Highlighting some of the achievements of the institution, the Vice Chancellor said the University has strengthened its international partnerships which has been of benefit to both the institution and the students.

Professor Babalola noted that partnership will foster student exchange programs, facilitate faculty exchange, collaborative research projects and joint publications with other top-tier universities.

He added that one of the partnerships has paved the way for the establishment of the Nigerian-South African Institute at Bowen University, noting that the institute will become operational soon.

He listed the partnerships as including, “William R. Tolbert Baptist University (Liberia): We recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at fostering student exchange programs, virtual learning opportunities, faculty training, and joint academic initiatives.

“Carbon Emissions Initiative: In April, a British-funded network partnership visited Bowen University to discuss Carbon Literacy for Youth Employability and Job Creation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Africa-UniNet Membership: Bowen University has been granted membership in the prestigious Africa-UniNet Network, funded by the Austrian government.

“Nigeria-South Africa Relations: To commemorate the 30 years of diplomatic relations
between Nigeria and South Africa, we hosted the South African Consular General.

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“Partnership with Walter Sisulu University: We have also signed an agreement with
Walter Sisulu University in South Africa.”

Speaking on the accreditations and re-accreditations of programs in the University, the VC said eight of the institution’s academic programs
received accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC).

“The B.Sc. Cyber Security, B.Sc. Information Technology, and B.Sc. Software Engineering in the College of Computer and Communication Studies all received full
NUC re-accreditation, with a validity period of 5 years.

“Following the accreditation exercise conducted in October/November 2023, the
Medicine and Surgery Programme received full NUC re-accreditation for another five
years.

“In the College of Management and Social Sciences, the B.Sc. Industrial Relations and
Personnel Management and B.Sc. International Relations, were fully re-accredited by
the NUC, with a validity period of 5 years.

“The B.Sc. Architecture, and B.Sc. Surveying and Geoinformatics in the College of Environmental Sciences received interim accreditations with a two-year validity
period,” he noted.

On infrastructural development, Professor Babalola said, “Two 800-seater lecture theatres are under construction at both Iwo and Ogbomoso
campuses of the institution.

He also said, “A 100-seater lecture hall at the Iwo Campus has been completed and officially commissioned, the ongoing construction of a 2-bedroom Semi-Detached Staff Quarters at the Iwo
Campus, a donation from Meristem Securities Limited.

“A 300-bed Capacity Female Hostel was completed, while approval has also been given by the Governing Council, for the construction of a 300-
bed hostel at Bowen University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) Ogbomosho.”

Speaking further, Professor Babalola said students of the institution also secured grants and represented

“Two of the 500-level medical students won an international scholarship to attend and present their research papers at the USAID CONRAD Eastern Virginia Medical School research Conference held in Mombasa, Kenya, in September 2024.

“Ten students in the first-class CGPA from the College of Law participated in the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) Scholarship Awards for 2023, and 2 bowenites –
Gifty Nnaji and Gold Mfon-Usoro received the prestigious awards

“Gifty Nnaji, a 500-level law student, came first at the Amnesty International Nigeria’s
2024 Intervarsity Human Rights Debate held at Baze University, Abuja, outperforming other competitors from 11 universities representing all six geopolitical zones.

“Aderinola Ogunleye, a 500-level Mechatronics Engineering student, won a $3,300 grant
to attend the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2024 in Yokohama, Japan.”

“Oluwanifemi Adebayo and Joseph Fatoye from the Mechatronics Programme represented
Bowen University at the 38th Annual Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Vancouver, Canada, as the only Africans selected as AAAI-24 UC Scholars.”

Professor Babalola also spoke on staff achievements where he noted that Bowen University has distinguished itself with an impressive
academic achievement: seven of its current staff members have been ranked among
Stanford/Elsevier’s top 2% of scientists worldwide.

“This recognition places Bowen University
among an elite group, as only six universities in Nigeria recorded a higher number of top-ranked
scientists.

“In addition to this, many of our faculty members have been awarded international grants for
conferences, workshops, and research, further showcasing their expertise and the impact of their work. Our staff have shown unwavering dedication, with 118 promotions awarded this year.

“These include 13 new full Professors, several Associate & Assistant Professors, and numerous other academic and administrative advancements such as Deputy Registrars, Principal Assistant
Registrars, Principal Technologists, Principal Accountants, and Principal Personal Secretaries. In
addition, forty-five (45) members in the junior cadre were also promoted across the board. These promotions underscored the diversity of talents and responsibilities that constituted our
University.

“Currently, there are no outstanding promotions, a testament to our ongoing commitment to staff development and recognition. We look forward to the 2025 promotion for well-deserved staff
members in January 2025.”