No fewer than 209 graduands of the Federal University Dutse bagged first-class degrees as the varsity holds its 8th and 9th convocation slated for Saturday, July 5, 2025.

This was disclosed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdulkarim Sabo Mohammed, while briefing journalists on the programmes lined up for the occasion at the Senate Building Complex in Dutse.

The breakdown of the graduands showed that a total of 1,271 bagged second-class upper division, while 2,034 bagged second-class lower division, and about 559 graduands got third-class degrees.

The total number of graduands stands at 4,277, adding that student enrolment has grown from 202 in the 2011/2012 academic session to 18,000 as of today, while the academic programmes have also risen from five in 2011/2012 to 45 programmes today.

The VC informed the audience that the 8th and 9th combined convocation lecture will be delivered by the pioneer VC of FUD, Prof. Jibrilla Dahiru Amin, on Friday, July 4, 2025.

The topic of the lecture is “Harnessing Research and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Role of Higher Education Institutions.”

On his achievements, Prof. Abdulkarim announced that the Faculty of Law building has been completed and that students will be admitted into the faculty next session.

He also told the audience that plans are underway for the establishment of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, pointing out that in the last four years, FUD has attracted over N800 million in research grants.

He noted that the grants included the N113 million Google Artificial Intelligence Lab established in the university, the first among its peers in the Northwest geo-political zone.

The VC explained further that one of the highlights of his administration is the N1.2 billion internet broadband facility project by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, which has provided free Wi-Fi services in the university.

He stressed that the components have helped to improve teaching and research among academic staff and Federal University Dutse students.

Prof. Abdulkarim disclosed that the university recently signed an MoU with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Rural Electrification Agency to build a 1.6-megawatt state-of-the-art solar grid, which will ensure that the campus is powered by solar energy.

He said some of the completed projects in the university include the new Senate Building, Faculty of Law Building, New Library, Twin 250 Lecture Theatres, STEM classrooms, two female hostels, among others.

He expressed his profound gratitude to working journalists in Jigawa State and beyond for their support and cooperation, and thanked the staff of the university for their support, without which the modest achievements recorded wouldn’t have been possible.