University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) is set to confer first-class honours on 363 students during its 35th convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday.
Prof. Owunari Georgewill, Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, made this known during a news conference in Port Harcourt to mark the combined convocation and the institution’s 50th anniversary.
He stated that the conferment of degrees, higher degrees, diplomas, prizes, and other honours would take place from July 21 to 26.
According to him, the convocation covers students who completed their academic programmes in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 sessions.
A total of 14,861 graduands will receive various qualifications during the event.
For undergraduate degrees, 9,788 students will be conferred with first degrees, with 363 of them earning first-class honours.
In the postgraduate category, 2,008 students will receive Postgraduate Diplomas, 2,131 will be awarded Master’s degrees, and 934 will obtain Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
Georgewill also announced that four distinguished Nigerians will be honoured with honorary doctorate degrees. They include the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; the Chairman of TETFund, Aminu Masari; and Gov. Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State.
He described the convocation as a symbolic season of harvest when the university reflects on its infrastructural growth, academic development, research, visibility, and challenges.
On infrastructure, the vice-chancellor noted that the university had achieved significant progress with support from the Federal Government through Needs Assessment, TETFund, and Capital Projects.
These interventions, he said, led to renovations, new office buildings, and improved learning environments across faculties.
He added that the university now boasts top-tier laboratories, a sports complex, modern health facilities, a counselling centre, an entrepreneurial hub, and a world-class Convocation Arena, all contributing to holistic student development.
Georgewill also highlighted a renewable energy milestone through a partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to build a 10.7MW solar hybrid power plant under the UNIPORT Solar Farm project.
He said the power plant, once completed, would provide steady electricity to the university, the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), and neighbouring communities.
“This marks a significant milestone in our renewable energy drive and journey towards sustainability and energy independence,” he added.
As part of its academic expansion, Georgewill announced the creation of three new faculties: the Faculty of Computing, the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Media and Communications.
He also disclosed that over 1,000 students had benefited from scholarships through partnerships with 13 external sponsors.
“UNIPORT continues to attract international research grants and strategic collaborations, leading to the establishment of two Africa Centres of Excellence (ACEs) funded by the World Bank,” he said.
These are the ACE for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR) and the ACE for Oilfield Chemicals Research (ACE-CEFOR), both of which contribute significantly to regional and global research efforts.
He said the university was taking steps towards full digitalisation, including plans for specialised and STEM laboratories, smart classrooms, smart boards, and a cloud-based infrastructure to support e-learning and virtual research access.
Georgewill called for more funding to support critical infrastructure such as hostels, staff quarters, internal roads, street lighting, a central administrative building, and more office spaces.
He also decried persistent encroachment on the university’s land by unauthorised individuals.