Rivers State University has announced plans to award First-Class Degrees to 120 students during its 36th convocation ceremony, scheduled for this weekend. The event will also mark the historic graduation of the university’s first cohort of Nursing students, with a total of 8,920 graduates set to receive degrees.
Speaking during a pre-convocation press briefing in Port Harcourt, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nlerum Okogbule, described the occasion as a significant milestone for the university.
“This year’s convocation is special because it will be recording two significant events in the historical trajectory of the university,” he said. “First, it will be the last convocation where I will be presiding as Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University. This is because my five-year tenure as Vice Chancellor of the university will terminate on March 4, 2025.
“Second, it will witness the graduation of the first set of Nursing graduates from the university. Indeed, the Nursing graduates were recently inducted as professional Nurses by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. This is a landmark achievement not only for the university but also for the Rivers State Government, which is massively supporting the Medical College and the university.”
Prof. Okogbule further noted that this convocation precedes another major milestone: the upcoming graduation and induction of the university’s first set of medical doctors by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria in January 2025.
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The convocation spread over two days, will see undergraduate degrees awarded on December 13, 2024, and higher degrees conferred on December 14, 2024. According to the Vice-Chancellor, this structure is intended to minimize overcrowding and streamline the event.
A convocation lecture will also be held on December 12, 2024, delivered by Prof. Lawal Suleiman, former Vice-Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University. The lecture, titled “Emerging Technologies in Reshaping the Future of Education and Learning Environment,” aims to shed light on the transformative role of technology in education.
Providing details on the graduating students, Prof. Okogbule stated, “At this convocation, we will be graduating a total of 8,920 graduates. The breakdown is as follows: Bachelors Degrees, First Class, 120; Second Class Honours Upper Division, 1,962; Second Class Honours Lower Division, 4,017; Third Class, 757; Pass Degree, 58—bringing the undergraduate total to 6,708.
“For Higher Degrees, we will be awarding 743 Post Graduate Diplomas, 1,195 Masters Degrees, and 442 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degrees, bringing the total for Post Graduate Degrees to 2,212.”
Prof. Okogbule expressed his appreciation for the support of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which has significantly contributed to the university’s progress and achievements.
