By  Blessing Ibegbu

Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State, on Saturday graduated no fewer than 2,217 students with 57 hitting first class degrees.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that at the institution’s 5th Convocation ceremony that comprised the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 graduating sessions, 519 students got Second Class Upper Degrees.

NAN also reports that 576 students got Second Class Lower Degrees, while 179 and nine others got Third Class and Pass degrees respectively.

Further details showed that 262 bagged MBBS, while postgraduate programmes produced 615  graduands comprising 41 Doctors of Philosophy (PhD), 156 Academic Masters,  298 Professional Masters, while 121 got Postgraduate Diplomas.

The institution also conferred its first emeritus professor on Prof. Yakubu Alhasan.

In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Haruna Ayuba, said that the university had a spiritual heritage with diverse faculty members playing important roles in nurturing and shaping tomorrow’s leaders.

“We nurture and shape young ones with the knowledge, skills and spiritual values that will make them change agents and globally-minded citizens.

“The institution has 15 Faculties and 54 departments that run 40 undergraduate and 40 post-graduate programmes in the past nine years.

“I commend the contribution of the past Vice-Chancellors; I commend their immense efforts towards the growth and development of the institution,” he said.

Ayuba further said that the university had experienced a rapid growth in infrastructure with the construction of a befitting Senate Complex, as well as additional students’ hostels, laboratories, classes, among others.

He said that the lifting of the ban on the first and second sets of law students that graduated in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic session by the Council for Legal Education, was a good development.

“To the glory of God and in appreciation to the council, a total of 131 law graduates of Bingham University have all been mobilised to law school.

“Induction of a total of 123 medical doctors by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) in 2024 is also one other achievement we are so proud of,” he added.

He, however, solicited for the support of stakeholders and guests to help raise standards and increased access to quality education in Nigeria.

“There is an urgent need for construction of more students’ hostels to meet the growing student population; we need more buildings for the faculties, laboratories, classrooms and lecture halls.

“There is also the need for the expansion of the ICT centre, provision of solar street lights in campus, additional paved road network, expansion of university health centres, among others.

“Your support, individually and collectively, in addressing these challenges, will go a long way in helping us increase access to quality education.

“This support will improve the learning environment for members of the university community,” he added.

Also speaking, Retired Gen. Martin Agwai, the Special Guest, commended the stakeholders for the great role played towards raising the standard of Bingham University.

“Today’s ceremony is significant because it marks both an ending and a new beginning for our graduands.

“We are gathered to celebrate your achievement, acknowledge your hard work and share in the joy of your graduation.

“I see a room filled with bright, ambitious and talented individuals, who will overcome challenges, embrace opportunities and transform dreams into reality,” he said.

Dr Bagat Mallam, Chairman, Board of Trustees, said he was impressed with the group of young graduates.

According to him, the young graduates will utilise the knowledge they gained in the university to better the world in their various fields of endeavours.

“To the graduands, as you move up the ladder in your career, remember the ability to lead.

“Also remember your personality, attitude, behaviours and interpersonal skills that will ultimately determine your level of success,” Mallam said.

In his goodwill message, the Executive Secretary, National University Commission (NUC), represented by Mr John Mairafi, Director in the Executive Secretary’s office, commended the institution’s rapid growth.

He applauded the institution’s outstanding records of many milestones, especially its capacity to produce 9,000 graduands and 80 programmes.

He also recognised the pivotal role the university had played over the years with most of its programmes.

He further explained that the commission had implemented curriculum standards and lurched programmes to enable more foreign collaboration, especially with Bingham University.

The Pro-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Haruna Andrew, commended the vice chancellor for building on his predecessors’ visions and work.

He encouraged the graduands to not just see themselves as graduates in caps and gowns, but the future leaders of the society.

“You not only acquired knowledge and good character in Bingham, but have developed the necessary skills to navigate intricacies of the world beyond the walls of the university,” he said.

The Chancellor, the Esu Karu, Mr Luka Panya-Baba, congratulated the institution and graduands and wished them more excellence.

Appreciating the institution, the emeritus professor commended the graduands for coming thus far in their achievements.

He encouraged the governing council of the school, Vice chancellor, colleagues in the academia and graduands, to keep the good works and be sure of greater heights.

Graduands and parents, who spoke with NAN, could not hide their joy as they returned the glory to God and the institution.

One of the graduands, Miss Sunshine Oche, from the Computer Science department, said she was thankful to God for the four years spent in the institution.

Another graduand, Ezekiel Tochukwu, said he was happy to be among the graduating students, adding that spending four years in university was very challenging.

He explained that the institution had impacted so much knowledge and morals into him and prayed it guides him in his future endeavours.

A parent, Mrs Ijeoma Anyaji, mother to one of the graduands, explained that she could not express the inner joy she was feeling because she had, for years, anticipated the graduating day.

According to her, training a child to graduate level is not an easy task either economically, financially and morally.

She advised parents to always pray for their children/wards and also ask for divine wisdom in the upbringing of children.

“That is the only way to have excellent children,” she said.(NAN)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Ephraims Sheyin