Twelve thousands and seven hundred students of Tai Solarin University of Education graduated at its combined 13th, 14th, and 15th convocations held on Tuesday at the OGD Hall of the University, out of which 113 bagged First Class.
Three hundred and twenty-nine of the graduates are from its Postgraduate College.
The graduation covered three academic sessions, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023.
Sunday Oluyemi Gbodogbe of the Mathematics department with a 4.89 CGPA emerged overall best-graduating student for 2020/2021, Elibe Ogadima Patricia with a CGPA of 4.89 from the Biology department picked up the prize for 2021/2022 while Sanyaolu Mercy Deborah, a graduate of Mathematics with CGPA 4.86.emerged the overall best for 2022/2023 session.
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, while rejoicing with the students as they begin another phase of life after their graduation urged them not to take failure as final.
Abiodun said that in the face of the global economic challenges ravaging the world, graduates should brace up to shine, be determined to succeed, and persevere to make their marks in life.
Promising that his government will never relent in implementing programmes and policies that will further boost the development of education in the state, Gov Abiodun went ahead to announce a reward of N2m cash to all the best-graduating students for each of the academic sessions while their postgraduate counterparts are to receive N500,000 each.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Oluwole Banjo has however attributed the combined convocations to the disruption occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the protracted strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
While congratulating the graduates for standing firm to finish their academic pursuits despite the rigours, Prof Banjo urged the graduates to go out there and be agents of positive change and transformation.
He said that the graduands must always bring to bear the value of critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge as instilled in them by the university to make a difference in the world
The VC said: “As you graduate into the world, you’ll find yourselves at various times at crossroads, on the precipice of a world filled with opportunities, In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, the knowledge you’ve acquired is invaluable.
“You are equipped to not only adapt to changes but to be agents of positive change. As you step out into the world, remember that success is not just about personal achievements but also about the impact you make on others and the world around you.
“I encourage you to embrace the challenges that lie ahead. It is through adversity that we discover our true potential and resilience. When you encounter obstacles, remember that they are opportunities in disguise. Be persistent, be determined, and never lose sight of your dreams”.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Prof Rahaman Bello, has however urged Governor Abiodun to increase the funding for the school given the escalating cost of living and the growing inflation.
Prof Bello equally urged the governor to help in providing the school with a state-of-the-art sporting facility and other infrastructure that will further help the University achieve its core functions of teaching, research and Community Service
The highlight of the combined convocations was the honouring of the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Tunde Lemo, with a Doctorate Degree in Economics for his invaluable contributions to the socio-economic development of the nation.
