LAGOS – The authorities of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have pledged steady production of quality graduates that would be able to compete favourably with their counterparts in any part of the world.
Prof. Rahamon Bello, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, made the promise at the institution’s 2014 convocation in began in Lagos.
He said that 48 of the 3,104 graduating students from different faculties of the university finished with First Class Honours.
Bello said the Faculty of Arts produced four First Class graduates out of the overall 518 figure, while the Faculty of Education had one First Class, out of the 892 graduates.
According to the don, the Faculty of Environmental Sciences has six First Class students, out the overall 301 graduates.
The vice-chancellor said that the Faculty of Science produced 22 First Class graduates, out of the overall 697 graduating from the faculty.
He said that the Faculty of Social Sciences had 15 First Class graduates, out of the overall 696 graduates from the faculty.
The don said that 926 of the other graduating students finished in the Second Class Upper Division, while 1,593 others finished in the Second Class Lower Division.
Bello said that the institution graduated 491 students in the Third Class Division, while 46 others bagged the Pass Degree.
He said that the university had, over the years, expanded its horizon in Africa, being a foundation member of the 14-member African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA).
The vice-chancellor said that the university got 14 research grant awards worth N56 million, out of the 31 awards approved by the Lagos State Research and Development Council (LRDC).
He said that the research grants, the initiative of Gov. Babatunde Fashola, were for tertiary education institutions in and around Lagos State.
According to him, the grants are aimed at encouraging developmental research problems affecting the state and Lagosians.
Bello expressed concern over the current accommodation challenges facing the institution.
“The university has been contending with serious shortages of accommodation for both its students and staff.
“We have a full-time student population of about 35,000, while only 8,500 bed spaces are available.
“Efforts are being concentrated on expanding these, as we are already embarking on a 1,000 bed-space hostel currently, but this is s far cry from our need.
“Any direct endowment in this direction will go a long way to reducing the sufferings of our students, particularly with the harsh transportation and rent environment of the state,” he said.
