UNILAG graduates 16,506 students at its 56th convocation, with Umeozor Benedict achieving a perfect 5.00 CGPA and 1,211 earning First Class honours
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) celebrated a milestone during its 56th Convocation Ceremonies, graduating 16,506 students across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
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Out of the total, 1,211 students earned First Class honours and distinctions, reflecting the university’s strong culture of academic excellence.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, disclosed the figures at a press briefing on January 14, 2026.
A major highlight of the convocation was Umeozor Chukwuzubelu Benedict, who achieved a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.00 in Business Administration, earning the title of Overall Best Graduating Student and Best Graduating Student in the Humanities.
In the Sciences category, Oloton Deborah Isiuwa graduated with a CGPA of 4.91 in Architecture, emerging as the Best Graduating Student.
At the doctoral level, Abubakar Haruna Egbunu won the Overall Best PhD Thesis Award in Civil and Environmental Engineering, while Zuhumnen Beatrice Paul received the Best PhD Thesis in Humanities Award.
The University of Lagos Business School also recognised outstanding achievements. Adebamowo Oyeyemi Idowu won the Best Doctoral Thesis Award (DBA), while Olapoju Bamidele Joshua secured the Best Graduating Master’s Degree Award with a CGPA of 4.94.
The breakdown of undergraduate degrees showed 4,543 students graduating with Second Class Upper, 3,910 with Second Class Lower, 1,023 with Third Class, and 69 with Pass degrees.
Additionally, 330 students received unclassified degrees, mainly from the Faculties of Pharmacy, Dental Sciences, Health Professions, and Clinical Sciences.
At the postgraduate level, 479 students received Postgraduate Diplomas, including 41 distinctions.
A total of 5,148 students earned Master’s degrees, with 429 distinctions, and 119 were awarded Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. ULBS graduated 140 participants, including 32 with distinctions.
Highlighting UNILAG’s growing global reputation, Professor Ogunsola noted the institution retained its position as Nigeria’s top-ranked university in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) rankings, placing in the 801–1000 band globally.
She also mentioned awards for research quality, industry income, and recognition as the Most International African Institution (West Africa) at the 2025 International Education (TINE) Africa Summit.
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According to the Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG secured over $17.37 million (over ₦24 billion) in research grants in 2025, with health-related research attracting the largest share.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
