UNILAG’s convocation: Mass Comm Dept tops with 18 all-female first-class

The Mass Communication Department of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) produced an unparalleled record by graduating 18 all-female first-class graduates at the 55th convocation of the university.

Sunday Oloruntola, the head of the Mass Communication Department speaking on the historic achievement, told BusinessDay that the remarkable feat was a result of hard work on the side of the students, and the lecturers’ commitment to helping the students excel.

“It’s not pre-planned; I believe that the students were individually hard-working, reading on their own towards achieving first-class. Some of them were intentional, they have been working towards that from their first day on campus and didn’t allow anything to distract them.

“Besides, the lecturers are committed, giving assignments to encourage competent learning; pushing them all the ways to excel. We push them here, making sure they do things by themselves,” he said.

Moreover, Oloruntola explained that the increase in the number of first-class graduates is among other things, functional to the availability of learning materials via the Internet.

“Things have changed, these students can access study materials on the internet, with AI and other online materials, except a lazy student, the students have the platforms to excel,” he noted.

For the first time in the history of the university and the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Mass Communication Department produced 18 all-female first-class graduates for the 2023/2024 academic session, which also cumulated to UNILAG’s 55th convocation ceremony.

During the 2025 convocation ceremony for undergraduates held on Tuesday, the 18 females who bagged first-class were applauded for achieving the unparalleled feat.

The graduating students were praised for their hard work, dedication, and resilience in achieving academic excellence.

The record-breaking amazons include Peace Onuoha, Frances Odogu, Opeyemi Kareem, Eunice Obidi, Feranmi Abiola, Funmilola Onabanjo, Ahuruele Akani, Oyindamola Arikawe, Ifedayo Ayilaran,

Others are Demiladeogo Bankole, Joy Imanah, Olaide Bankole, Eniola Daramola, Chelsea Jegede, Temiloluwa Igbinlade, Ifeoma Iwelunmor, Mofesola Olanrewaju, and Faith Enang.

The University of Lagos conferred first degrees and diplomas on 9,684 students on Tuesday, January 14, with 561 students bagging first-class, and distinctions, 3,916 students getting second-class upper (2:1) degrees, 3,763 students getting second-class lower (2:2) degrees, 1,143 got third class (3rd) degrees, and 78 students got pass degrees, while 223 got unclassified degrees.

Damilare Adebakin and Samuel Akinade emerged as the two overall best-graduating students with a perfect score of 5.0. Both students are from the Faculty of Science, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics.

Olamide Emida is the best-graduating student from the humanities in the Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Sciences with a CGPA of 4.95.

The Faculty of Management Sciences produced the highest number of first-class students with 125 out of 989 students, followed by the Faculty of Science with 121 first-class out of 1,166 students. The Faculty of Engineering is third with 61 first-class out of 705 students.

Folasola Ogunsola, the vice-chancellor of UNILAG outlined some of the remarkable achievements of the institution in the 2024 academic year which includes the domiciliation of the Med-Africa GMP Laboratory.

“The First Good Manufacturing Practice GMP Laboratory was built within a university in West Africa and is currently domiciled at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos. This project is funded by MED-AFRICA Foundation Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076, USA.

“The laboratory was officially opened and commissioned on May 26, 2024, and is based on a grant obtained by Margaret Ilomuanya, an Associate Professor Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology is to facilitate in collaboration with Centre for Biomedical Research Population Council New York, USA to develop freeze-dried vaginal inserts for HIV prevention. It is valued at 450,000 USD and only the 3rd on the continent domiciled within an institution,” she said.