Twenty-four students will graduate with First-Class degrees as KolaDaisi University, Ibadan, Oyo State, prepares to confer degrees on 224 graduands at its sixth convocation ceremony scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, are among prominent personalities expected at the ceremony marking the university’s 10th anniversary.
While Obasanjo is scheduled to deliver the convocation lecture today Tuesday, Oloyede will give the commencement address.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olajumoke Morenikeji, disclosed this while addressing journalists ahead of the anniversary and convocation celebrations, which began on October 26 and will end on November 5.
She said the 224 graduands, drawn from 16 academic disciplines, represented the highest number of students to graduate from the institution since its establishment.
Giving a breakdown of the graduating class, Morenikeji said 24 students obtained First-Class degrees.
She noted that the university’s graduate output had increased steadily from 52 in 2021 to 92 in 2022, 123 in 2023, 159 in 2024 and 203 in 2025.
Reflecting on the institution’s 10-year journey, the Vice-Chancellor said the anniversary provided an opportunity to assess its contributions to higher education and set priorities for the next decade.
She said the university, founded through the vision and investment of its Chancellor, Chief Kola Daisi, had developed into a multidisciplinary institution offering programmes in the humanities, management and social sciences, computing, law, health and life sciences.
On academic standards, Morenikeji said the university had secured full accreditation for 22 academic programmes, while its Law programme received accreditation from the Council of Legal Education in 2024, enabling its first set of graduates to proceed to the Nigerian Law School.
She added that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria conducted a professional accreditation exercise for the university’s Nursing Science programme on August 31, 2026, with the institution awaiting the outcome. Preparations were also underway for the accreditation of its Medical Laboratory Science programme.
Highlighting the university’s research achievements, she disclosed that a member of its academic staff, Dr Ngojisola Karigidu, had secured a patent for a plant-based biopesticide formulated from lemongrass and orange peel extracts.
She also announced the establishment of a Centre for Open Science Research in Robotics, Computing and Artificial Intelligence through international funding, saying the centre would promote research collaboration, prototype development and patent-related activities.
On graduate employability, Morenikeji said the institution had strengthened partnerships with industries and professional organisations to expose students to practical skills, digital competencies and entrepreneurship opportunities.
She listed collaborations with Mobile, Screens and Sound Limited, Oracle Academy and New Horizons as part of efforts to align academic training with industry requirements.
The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that the university was upgrading its existing healthcare centre into a primary healthcare facility to improve access to medical services for students, staff and neighbouring communities.
She said the institution was also rehabilitating its sports complex and strengthening campus security through collaboration with the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force and Oyo State security outfit, Amotekun Corps.
Morenikeji called on the Federal Government to extend the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme to students in private universities, arguing that they should not be excluded from educational support because of the ownership of their institutions.
“The children in private institutions are also Nigerians,” she said, questioning the limited admission capacity of public universities.
She argued that some students enrolled in private universities because they could not secure admission into public institutions, rather than because their parents were wealthy.
“But how many students can federal institutions take?” she asked, urging the government to consider the circumstances of private university students when developing policies to widen access to higher education.
The anniversary and convocation activities include sporting competitions, research and entrepreneurship exhibitions, community service, tree planting, an alumni dinner, cultural celebrations and the convocation lecture.
