The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, announced at the institution’s convocation ceremony on Monday, that a total of 117 graduates of the premier university obtained First Class honours this year, adding that 1,207 graduates obtained 2nd Class honours (Upper Division); 3,020 graduates obtained 2nd Class (Lower Division) and 666 graduates obtained a Third Class.

Noting that the convocation ceremony is his first graduation address since assuming office as the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olayinka said that the 117 that graduated with First Class represented only 2.2 per cent of the total graduands this year.

Professor Olayinka revealed that one of his objectives when he applied for the position of the Vice Chancellor of the institution was to significantly increase the number of students of the university who bag First Class and Second Class honours (Upper Division) and reduce the proportion of graduates with Third Class – without lowering standards.

The Vice Chancellor commended the achievements of the staff and students of the university in the course of the past one year, particularly the ranking of the University of Ibadan among the top 1,000 best universities in the world by the Times Higher Education, making the institution the first Nigerian university to make it into that bracket. He also disclosed that two of the products of the university obtained First Class honours at the Nigerian Law School Bar Final Examination.

The overall best student in this year’s graduation, Miss Christianah Oluwatosin Falaye commended and appreciated the University for offering the graduands a “liberal education” that equipped the students with transferable skills, which can be used creatively.