Wellspring University, Benin City, Edo State, has graduated 404 students at its 14th convocation ceremony, with 47 undergraduates earning First Class honours and the best graduating student recording an impressive 4.98 CGPA out of 5.0.
The Chancellor of the university, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, charged the graduands to embrace lifelong learning, stressing that obtaining a university degree should mark the beginning of greater contributions to society rather than the end of their educational journey.
Ighodalo gave the charge at the institution’s 14th convocation ceremony, where he urged the graduating students to deploy their knowledge, skills and values towards building successful careers, stronger communities and a better nation.
“The world is waiting for you. Go forth and make us proud. Build your careers with diligence, build your communities with knowledge and build nations with patriotism,” he said.
He urged the graduands to uphold the university’s reputation wherever their careers take them, whether within Nigeria or abroad.
According to him, the values of integrity, excellence and service instilled in them during their academic journey should guide their decisions and conduct throughout life.
Delivering the convocation lecture titled, *“The University and the Future: Educating Minds in an Era of Disruption and Opportunity,”* the Director-General of Dangerous Goods Academy, Lagos, Dr Alban Igwe, said the future demands more than technically trained workers, insisting that society needs individuals capable of critical thinking, innovation and adaptation.
“The future requires more than trained workers. It requires educated minds. A trained person may perform a known task, but an educated person can understand why the task matters, question whether it should be performed in a particular way, adapt when conditions change and use knowledge to improve the lives of others,” Igwe said.
He challenged universities to produce graduates who can connect global knowledge with local realities, stressing that institutions of higher learning must equip students to address the challenges confronting their immediate communities while competing on the international stage.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Rotimi Ajayi, disclosed that 404 graduands would receive various degrees and diplomas across the university’s colleges and School of Postgraduate Studies.
He explained that the figure comprised 294 first-degree graduates, 93 postgraduate diploma and master’s degree recipients, and 17 doctoral graduates.
Giving a breakdown of the undergraduate results, Ajayi said 47 students graduated with First Class honours, 145 obtained Second Class Upper Division, 91 earned Second Class Lower Division, while 11 graduated with Third Class honours.
He announced that Popo Atorerefa Nancy of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy emerged as the overall best graduating student, securing First Class honours with an outstanding CGPA of 4.98 on a 5.0 scale.
The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that the university awarded 29 Postgraduate Diplomas, 50 Master of Science degrees, 14 Master of Business Administration degrees, 15 Doctor of Philosophy degrees and two Doctor of Business Administration degrees.
Ajayi described the growing number of postgraduate graduates as evidence of the university’s expanding commitment to advanced learning, research and academic excellence.
“This landmark achievement reflects our steady growth as an institution committed to postgraduate education and research,” he said.
