Thomas Adewumi University (TAU), Oko-Irese in Irepodun Local Government, Kwara State, during the week graduated 16 first class of the 63 graduating students for the 2024-2025 academic session.
Aside that 16 First Class graduates, 40 also bagged Second Class Upper Division, and seven in Second Class Lower Division.
The Chancellor and founder of the varsity, Eng. Johnson Adewumi, disclosed during the week at the second convocation ceremony of the institution that the four-year-old school had contributed positively to the body of knowledge.
He explained that the science-based school had attained international standard skills for the graduands to be self-reliant in their various chosen careers.
According to him, the university had also attracted grants as well as signed various Memorandum of Understanding with agencies and organisations in Europe and America, among others.
He said, “TAU graduands are going out to be employers of labour, not job seekers,” charging their parents not to abandon them after graduation.
The Vice Chancellor (VC) of TAU, Prof. Fransica Oladipo, urged the Federal Government to factor private universities into the Tetfund fundings so as to aid them in its teaching and learning activities.
She reaffirmed TAU’s commitment to strengthening quality education, innovation, and globally competitive learning during its 2nd Convocation Ceremony.
According to Oladipo, TAU is living up to its ranking as fastest growing institution in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine, and Innovation (STEM-i) ecosystem by surpassing more than 100 per cent in its number of graduating students at the second convocation.
She added, “TAU emerged on April 8, 2021, as Nigeria’s fastest-growing STEM-i ecosystem. Today, we rank first among the 20 private universities licensed in 2021, fourth among the 14 universities in Kwara, fifth among Nigeria’s over 170 private universities, and 50th nationally, an impressive rise reflecting our unwavering commitment to excellence.
“What a moment of extraordinary significance. Today, we stand at a crossroads far more significant than words can adequately capture. Exactly one year ago, we gathered at this very auditorium to celebrate our inaugural convocation, a ceremony that marked the graduation of 26 pioneering students who dared to believe in a vision when others saw only impossibility.
“Those 26 trailblazers proved that Thomas Adewumi University was not just a dream but a reality rooted in excellence. Today, as we honour 63 outstanding graduates, we witness something far more profound than numerical growth.
“This 142 per cent increase in our graduating class is not merely a statistic to be recorded in annual reports, it is a declaration that TAU has transcended the realm of promise and entered the domain of proof.
“We have moved from potential to performance, from aspiration to achievement, from vision to velocity. This year, 63 graduands from four faculties and 11 academic programmes are being conferred. It is noteworthy that we have 16 First Class graduates, 40 in Second Class Upper Division, and seven in Second Class Lower Division. These results reflect the quality of training and mentorship provided at Thomas Adewumi University, and we are proud to contribute these innovators to both the Nigerian and global workforce, confident that they will make a meaningful impact.
“Preparing globally competitive graduates, these 63 graduands are not merely degree holders, they are comprehensively prepared global professionals equipped with exceptional advantages that set them apart from their peers nationwide. Through our international partnerships, these graduates have obtained additional microcredentials from MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Berkeley, and Yale, world-class certifications from Alison UK, RUDN Professional University Russia, World Bank’s Saylor Academy, Google, ICAN, and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development initiatives in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
“Our Coursera collaboration provided them with additional industry certifications, while partnerships with Microsoft, IBM SkillsBuild, and MIT OpenCourseWare through our Global Campus initiative democratise access to cutting-edge knowledge. They are thus fully equipped to embark on meaningful and innovative careers in today’s technology-driven world.”
She disclosed that the institution had been collaborating and partnering towards building a better future for the Nigerian youths, hence the need for the government to support the private institution to be able to elevate the nation’s education development.
Earlier, the convocation lecturer, Dr Bayo Olugbemi, stressed the importance of crowdfunding to assist the graduating students in their chosen career.
Olugbemi, the CEO of First Registrar, noted that crowdfunding creates many opportunities for the youths to navigate between challenges of funding their business ideas, urging: “I urge you not to think only about searching for jobs. Instead, think about creating value, and if capital is a barrier, remember: ‘The crowd can be your first investor.’”
Hinting that money follows ideas and values, Olugbemi noted that crowdfunds are built on trust and hope for sustainable development, charging the students to take advantage of the digital opportunities the modern world offers.
In his goodwill message, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, represented by Esther I. Eyo, commended the resilience of TAU management, said: “NUC acknowledges TAU sustained progress in advancing quality teaching, impactful research, innovation, and community engagement, all of which align with our national aspiration for a globally competitive and knowledge-driven university system.
“It would interest you to know that, in the accreditation exercise conducted in 2023, Thomas Adewumi University achieved a 100 per cent full accreditation status across all programmes assessed, a laudable feat that reflects the University’s strong commitment to maintaining high academic standards,” she said.
