Rita Enemuru, Reporting
THE University of Uyo (UNIUYO) has recorded a significant improvement in academic performance after graduating 214 students with First Class Honours at its 31st and 32nd Combined Convocation ceremony held on Thursday, 12 November 2026.
The ceremony, which took place at the university’s permanent site in Nwaniba, Uyo, saw a total of 22,961 students graduate across the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions. The event continues through Saturday, 14 November.
This is the first convocation under the 9th substantive Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christopher Nyong Ekong, who assumed office on 16 June 2026.
According to figures contained in Professor Ekong’s convocation address, 19,217 graduands received Bachelor’s degrees, 814 received diplomas, 248 received certificates, and 2,682 received postgraduate qualifications.
Of the first-degree graduands, 214 bagged First Class Honours, 7,216 Second Class Upper, 10,468 Second Class Lower, 917 Third Class and 402 Pass.
The 214 First Class figure is 40 more than the 174 recorded at the 29th and 30th combined convocation in November 2024.
For the 2023/2024 session alone, 9,106 students graduated, while 10,111 graduated for the 2024/2025 session.
For postgraduate awards, the breakdown given by the Vice-Chancellor was 714 doctorate degrees, 1,303 master’s degrees and 665 postgraduate diplomas, making 2,682 in all.
The total of 22,961 is 10,511 higher than the 12,450 who passed out at the last combined convocation – a rise of about 84.4 per cent.
The overall best graduating student, Abasifreke Iyakndue Nkanang, with a CGPA of 4.91, is from the Department of Computer Engineering, as contained in the official convocation booklet.
In his convocation address, Professor Ekong described the ceremony as holding “special significance” because it was the first he was organising as Vice-Chancellor.
“Owing to circumstances beyond my control, we have to combine two sets of graduands for this occasion,” he said.
He pledged that under his leadership, the university would never again combine two or more sets for convocation.
“The combined graduation was due to circumstances beyond my control. Under my leadership, the university would no longer combine two or more sets of graduates for convocation,” Professor Ekong added.
He anchored his administration on six pillars: infrastructural renewal, academic and research excellence, staff welfare, student-centred administration, digital transformation and good governance, partnership and global engagement.
He said his dream was for a university “whose name evokes admiration, respect and pride” and whose graduates would be respected and sought after anywhere in the world.
He listed early achievements since 16 June to include prompt processing of results, clearance of the backlog of 1,810 transcript applications, issuance of transcripts within 72 hours, renovation of NDDC, Needs Assessment and Presidential hostels, renovation of the Central Administration Building, provision of furniture, boreholes and 500 computers, purchase of 12 vehicles, and ongoing construction of the Faculty of Pharmacy building and UNIPOD Centre.
He also announced that results of the second semester of the 2025/2026 session have been approved by Senate, and that undergraduate and Direct Entry admissions have been returned to departments and faculties.
He charged the graduands to be good ambassadors of UNIUYO, to “produce what you consume” – the philosophy behind the recent Made-in-UNIUYO exhibition – and to create jobs rather than only seek white-collar employment.
As an addendum to his address, he announced a financial reward for the overall best graduating student from N30,000 to N500,000 and other best graduating students from N10,000 to N300,000.
Dr Muiz Banire, SAN, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the 10th Governing Council, presided over the convocation as Chairman of Council.
Banire, who had announced Professor Ekong’s appointment on 30 April 2026 after what he described as a rigorous, transparent and merit-based selection process, congratulated the graduands and commended the Vice-Chancellor for organising the convocation within five months of assuming office.
In his address, he stressed good governance, discipline and due process as the foundation for restoring UNIUYO’s reputation. He urged graduands to uphold integrity, noting that a degree from UNIUYO must stand for both learning and character.
He also reaffirmed Council’s support for the Vice-Chancellor’s reforms, particularly prompt release of results, digital transformation and infrastructural renewal, and assured staff and students that Council would continue to provide oversight without interference in academic matters
The Chancellor, His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Abubakar Adamu Maje, CON, Emir of Hadejia and Chairman, Jigawa State Council of Chiefs, formally declared the convocation open and conferred the degrees.
In his address, the Chancellor felicitated the graduands and charged them not to see their academic attainment as an end, but as a means to an end.
He urged them to think outside the box of white-collar jobs and launch themselves into the present world of innovation, resourcefulness and creativity – a charge he has consistently given at UNIUYO convocations.
He congratulated the Vice-Chancellor, the Governing Council and management for sustaining academic standards, and called for stronger collaboration between the Federal Government, State Government and the university to advance education as a catalyst for national development.
He also congratulated the honorary graduands and urged the graduands to be worthy ambassadors of Nigeria wherever they find themselves.
The university conferred honorary doctorate degrees on four distinguished Nigerians for their contributions to human and societal development.
They are: Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas; Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Dr Samuel Ogbuku; Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, High Chief Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo; and Managing Director of Ubotex Nigeria Limited, Mr Ubong Obot.
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, himself an alumnus of the university, was among dignitaries who attended and congratulated the university.
The convocation continues with postgraduate conferment and the honorary degree ceremony on Saturday, 14 November.
Presenting his valedictorian address, Abasifreke Nkanang thanked all who directly or indirectly contributed towards making his five-year stay in the university a huge success, even as his father, Mr Nkanang, advised parents to take particular interest in their children’s welfare at school.
Apart from the N500,000 Vice-Chancellor’s prize, which Abasifreke was the pioneer beneficiary of, he was also gifted N2.5m by Wema Bank and N300,000 by the Chancellor.
