Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, is preparing to graduate 1,043 students at its 17th convocation ceremony scheduled for Friday, with 83 students earning First-Class Honours.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olasebikan Fakolujo, disclosed the figures on Monday while announcing activities for the convocation and the institution’s 20th anniversary.

He said the graduating class comprised 897 first-degree recipients and 146 postgraduate students.

Of the undergraduate graduands, 83 obtained First-Class Honours, 429 earned Second-Class Honours (Upper Division), 301 received Second-Class Honours (Lower Division), while 74 graduated with Third-Class degrees and 10 obtained pass degrees.

The postgraduate graduands include 22 doctoral degree recipients, 94 academic master’s degree holders, 27 Master of Business Administration graduates and three postgraduate diploma recipients.

Fakolujo also announced that Misturah Elizabeth Oseni of the Department of Food Science and Technology emerged as the best graduating student for the 2025/2026 academic session, with a cumulative grade point average of 4.96.

Reflecting on the university’s development, the vice-chancellor said the institution began operations with 246 students in February 2007 and had since awarded 10,448 undergraduate degrees. It has also awarded more than 800 postgraduate degrees and qualifications.

He said the university’s focus over the past two decades had included entrepreneurial education, professional training, research and human capacity development, with the aim of preparing graduates for employment, self-reliance and enterprise creation.

Fakolujo highlighted the institution’s performance in professional examinations, stating that its Medical Laboratory Science students recorded a 100 per cent success rate in their 2026 professional examinations for the third consecutive year. Nursing Science students also achieved a 100 per cent success rate in the 2026 registered midwife professional examination.

He added that JABU graduates had continued to perform in Nigerian Law School examinations, with five graduates earning First-Class Honours in 2024 and three each in 2025 and 2026.

The vice-chancellor acknowledged that the institution had faced financial constraints and periods requiring reforms, but said it had continued to strengthen its academic and administrative systems.

He described the forthcoming convocation as a celebration of the achievements of students and the families who supported their education.

The ceremony will combine the university’s 17th convocation with celebrations marking 20 years of its contribution to higher education in Nigeria.