Three hundred and thirty-seven students have earned first-class honours from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, which is preparing to graduate a total of 19,252 students during its upcoming convocation ceremony.
Additionally, the university will be graduating its inaugural set of 25 medical doctors.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Ahmad Abdulazeez, disclosed this on Monday, at the pre-convocation press briefing held at the Senate Chamber, Gubi Campus.
Giving a breakdown of the graduands, he said among the 19,252 students are 5, 489 with Second Class Upper, 7, 241 with Second Class Lower, 1, 867 with Third Class, and 526 with Pass.
A further breakdown showed the graduands’ classes of qualifications to include 404 diplomas, 15,460 bachelor degrees, 1,653 postgraduate diplomas, 1,559 masters, and 176 doctorates.
Prof. Abdulazeez stated during the briefing: “The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University is set to conduct its 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th Combined Convocation ceremony from February 22 to 24, 2024. The cooperation of all stakeholders in the educational sector will determine the success of this exercise.
“The combined convocation ceremony will start on Thursday, February 22, 2024, with the commissioning of 19 different projects completed in the last four years. These projects are spread across both the Gubi and Yelwa campuses. We are inviting a number of dignitaries to commission these projects.
“These include the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed, the Governor of Katsina State, His Excellency, Dr Dikko Umaru Radda, the Honourable Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Ali Pate and all three senators representing Bauchi State.
“Furthermore, on Friday, February 23, 2024, there will be a convocation lecture, which will be delivered at 4:00 pm at the 1000-seat capacity lecture theatre, Yelwa Campus. A Professor of Media Studies, Umar Pate, will deliver the lecture with the topic “Education and Nigeria’s National Integration in the Digital Age: Matters Arising.”
“The lecture will simultaneously hold an exhibition from various departments of the university at the same venue to showcase some of our breakthroughs in research and fabrication.”
“Finally, the University Senate has approved the award of honorary doctorate degrees to five distinguished Nigerians who will be honoured on convocation day.”
ATBU graduates 337 First Class students