Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science and Law graduates record 100% success in professional examinations; University secures £385,094 Erasmus+ research grant

…Begins MBBS, Mechatronics and Software Engineering programmes; completes multi-billion-naira auditorium

…CJN Kekere-Ekun to deliver convocation lecture

Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, is set to graduate 964 students at its 10th and 11th Combined Convocation Ceremonies for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions.

The graduands comprise 884 undergraduates and 80 postgraduate students, with 116 undergraduate students earning First Class honours.

Of the undergraduate graduands, 398 obtained Second Class Upper Division, 299 graduated with Second Class Lower Division, 69 earned Third Class degrees, while two obtained Pass degrees.

At the postgraduate level, the University will award 11 Postgraduate Diplomas, eight Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees, 40 master’s degrees, four Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, two Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degrees, two Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degrees and 13 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Philip Gbenro Oguntunde, disclosed these figures at a pre-convocation briefing, ahead of the main graduation ceremony scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2026.

He announced that the Convocation Lecture, scheduled for Thursday, November 12, would be delivered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Honourable Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun.

The lecture will be chaired by elder statesman Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, former Secretary-General of Afenifere and pioneer Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Lafia.

The University will also confer an honorary doctoral degree on the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, the Honourable Justice Babatunde Adejumo, in recognition of his professional accomplishments, philanthropy, contributions to educational development and service to the legal profession.

Expansion of academic programmes

A major highlight of the University’s recent academic expansion is the approval granted by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for the commencement of its Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme.

Following a successful NUC resource verification exercise, admission into the programme has commenced, positioning the University to contribute more significantly to medical education and healthcare manpower development in Nigeria.

The MBBS programme is among four newly introduced undergraduate programmes, alongside Mechatronics Engineering, Software Engineering and Public Health. The University has also introduced postgraduate programmes leading to M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in Architecture.

100% success in professional examinations

Professor Oguntunde described the University’s performance in professional examinations as a strong endorsement of the quality of its academic and professional training.

The third set of Nursing Science graduates recorded a 100 per cent pass rate in both the Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife examinations conducted by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

Similarly, Medical Laboratory Science students achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in their internal and external professional examinations, while the University’s 2024/2025 Law graduates who sat for the Nigerian Law School Bar examinations also recorded a 100 per cent success rate.

The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that, following the Council of Legal Education’s re-accreditation visit to the Faculty of Law from July 12 to 14, 2026, the University’s Law admission quota was increased from 70 to 120. The admission quota for Nursing Science was also increased.

He added that Elizade University secured full accreditation in all six programmes assessed by the NUC during its October/November 2025 accreditation exercise.

The programmes are Law, Accounting and Finance, Microbiology, Business Administration, Human Resource Management and Computer Science.

According to him, the University has continued to maintain the accreditation of its academic programmes through regular assessments by the NUC and relevant professional regulatory bodies.

He noted that the Nursing Science and Law programmes were increasingly being regarded as benchmarks, reflecting the University’s commitment to maintaining high standards in professional education.

Research grants and international collaboration

In research and international collaboration, Elizade University secured an Erasmus+ research grant worth £385,094 through researchers in its Department of Biological Sciences.

The University is also leading another Erasmus+ grant proposal involving a consortium of nine institutions from Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Spain and Germany.

Another major initiative is the proposed establishment of a China-Africa Joint Laboratory in collaboration with the Northwest Institute of Ecological Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. When established, the laboratory is expected to be physically hosted at Elizade University.

Multi-billion-naira auditorium completed

The University has also recorded a major infrastructural milestone with the completion of its multi-billion-naira, 2,500-capacity Beatrice Ademolawe Ojo Multipurpose Auditorium.

The facility, constructed by the University’s Founder, Chief Michael Ade. Ojo, OON, is named in honour of his late mother, Mama Beatrice Ademolawe Ojo. It will host this year’s Convocation Lecture.

Sustaining institutional growth

Looking ahead, Professor Oguntunde said the University would consolidate its achievements through sustained investment in academic excellence, research and innovation, digital transformation, internationalisation, community engagement and infrastructural development.

He expressed appreciation to the Founder, Chief Michael Ade. Ojo, OON; the Board of Trustees; the Governing Council, chaired by Mr Ademola Adebise; Management; Senate; staff; students; parents; alumni and other stakeholders for their contributions to the University’s growth.

The week-long convocation activities, which commenced on November 6, include environmental awareness programmes, staff awards, sporting competitions, a convocation play, the Convocation Lecture and the main graduation ceremony scheduled for Friday, November 13.

The ceremonies will conclude with a thanksgiving service at St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Ilara-Mokin, on Sunday, November 15, 2026.