83 yr-old Dayo Duyile bags UNILAG’s PhD…….. Graduation ceremonies begin Jan. 13

CHINYERE IKEANYI

A veteran journalist, 83 year-old Dayo Duyile, has bagged a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Tolulope Ogunsola, announced this on Tuesday during the pre-convocation press conference of the 53rd Convocation ceremony ahead of the 60th anniversary of the University held at the Senate Chambers of the institution.

According to the new VC, Duyile Dayo Michael was Daily Times journalist who covered the opening ceremony of the University on October 3, 1962.

Duyile, the oldest graduating student in the male category, was one time the Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ). Ogba Ikeja Lagos.

The VC also disclosed that in the female category, the oldest graduating student was Okonji Bridget Obiageli, who bagged a Masters in Education (M. Ed) in Guidance and Counselling at the age of 82.

Prof.Ogunsola said 2,251 graduating students will receive their degrees, diplomas and certificates during  the 53rd Convocation Ceremonies which start on January 13.

She said out of this number, 67 would receive post graduate diplomas, 2,119 Masters degrees while 65 would receive Doctorate degrees.

She also disclosed that the overall best PhD Thesis award for the year was Yinusa Ahmed Amoo, who obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering, while the best PhD Thesis in Humanities award went to Kienka Rita Okorite in Guidance and Counselling.

“This edition of the Ceremonies will witness the awards of degrees for Postgraduate Diploma, Master, Doctorate as well as honorary Gold Medals. The ceremonies will begin at 10am on Friday, January 13, 2023 with the Commissioning of a Tele-Medicine Project (facilitated by our Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Distinguished Senator Dr. Lanre Tejuoso) at the College of Medicine, Idi Araba. On the same day, from 1pm to 2pm, the Jumat Service for the ceremonies will take place at the University of Lagos Mosque.

“At 10am on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, the Investiture of the 13th Vice-Chancellor will take place at the J.F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium. At 12am, in the same venue, the Convocation Lecture will be delivered by Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, the Managing Partner of Grand Central Africa. He has almost 30 years of an eclectic career spanning marketing communications, digital design, strategy, software development and digital transformation consulting in private and public sectors. He founded multiple-award winning technology solutions provider, InfoGraphics Nigeria in 1996 leading its young teams to a record-setting five-time winner of Microsoft Partner Awards. He is the current President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON). His antecedents make him eminently qualified to speak on the topic, “Finding the Boundaries of the Possible, Venturing Beyond”.

“Mr. Fola Adeola, an industry expert, Co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank and Chairman of FATE Foundation, will be Chairman of the Lecture. Later in the evening at 5pm, the Convocation Play – Femi Osofisan’s Esu and the Vagabond Minstrels – will be presented by the Creative Arts Department

“On Wednesday, January 18, 2023 Postgraduate Diplomas, Master, and Ph.D. degrees will be conferred on graduates of the School of Postgraduate Studies. There will also be the conferment of Gold Medal Awards on two personalities within the University community:  Professor Johnson Olaleru, a celebrated Professor of Mathematics, and Professor Duro Oni, a Theatre Guru.

“This will be in accordance with the provisions of the University of Lagos Act, which empowers the University to identify and honour deserving members of the society with proven integrity, who have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers and demonstrated significant contributions in raising the standard of the University through teaching, research, administration and service to the community.

“The 53rd Convocation Ceremonies which is also a special Convocation to mark the University’s 60th Anniversary will formally come to an end on Sunday, January 22, 2023 with a Thanksgiving Service at the Chapel of Christ Our Light, University of Lagos by 10am”, the VC stated.

According to her, the theme for the 60th Anniversary, “Eyes on the future”, has given members of the university community a sense of direction already and the focus under her watch is to make UNILAG future-ready as well as create a fit-for-purpose workforce for our country and the world at large.

She stated that in the 60 years of its existence, UNILAG has recorded remarkable achievements nationally and internationally, adding that its impact as a teaching and learning community has been felt across all spheres of human endeavour “as our scholars (academia and students), strengthened by administrative and technical support from our non-teaching staff, have excelled in teaching and research, promoting sports and culture development as well as innovation and entrepreneurship, Indeed, the strength of the University of Lagos system and structures built over these years have enabled each Vice-Chancellor to date to sustain the gains of previous administration while pushing out to find new frontiers in the aspiration to make our institution one of the global best”.

Professor Ogunsola said: “However, as a University we are not unmindful of the weaknesses and threats to our endeavours such as poor funding, aging infrastructure, huge costs of public utilities services especially electricity, constant disruptions in the academic calendars occasioned by incessant industrial actions, demotivated workforce, inadequate ICT infrastructure, burgeoning student population as a result of massification of higher education without commensurate governmental planning and adequate provisioning of resources as well as widespread national insecurity”.

The VC assured the university community that her mission as the 13th Vice-Chancellor, “is to lead the University of Lagos to take on these challenges even as we remain undaunted in our continuing quest to be positioned among the best Universities in the world”.

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