Kwara State University (KWASU) Malete is set to graduate a total of 71 First Class students among 6,374 first-degree graduates during its 12th convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday, as reported by Royal News.

Speaking with journalists on the university campus on Tuesday to unveil the programs for the 12th convocation ceremony, the KWASU vice-chancellor, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, said that 1,828 students graduated with Second Class Upper Division, 3,501 with Second Class Lower Division, and 974 with Third Class in the 2023/2024 academic session.

The vice-chancellor also mentioned that a total of 6,891 students graduated with postgraduate degrees for the 2023/2024 academic session, with 49 earning PhDs and 468 receiving Master's degrees.

The management of the state-owned institution also announced plans to tackle transportation challenges among its students by building more hostel facilities inside the university campus, noting that the transportation issue persists because many students live outside the campus.

“We have recently completed a l04-bedspace hostel and the Chairman of KWASU’s Governing Council, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali, OON, will commission the building this Thursday. KWASU has also partnered with investors to realise the Students’ Smart city hostel project which will deliver 25,000 bedspaces in the first phase. Currently, work is on-going to deliver at first, 8,700 bedspaces within the next few months.

“As a university desirous of producing total graduates, one of our goals is to secure more accommodation facilities on-campus for our students. This is one way we can ensure our student have access to all round university culture. The inadequate on-campus hostel facility was another of the challenges listed last year, but we have explored private partnership to solve this. We hope more private organisations will partner with us to drive the research and infrastructure components of this great institution”, he said.

Professor Luqman said that the university has been in the news for her strides in the electric vehicle conversion and, lately, the hybrid CNG conversion.

“As an entrepreneurial and community development university that also advocates sustainable environments, KWASU considers these achievements as contributing to cleaner environments for all, with the added benefit of boosting the economic growth of the institution and society in general”.

The VC also commended the Kwara State Government for committing funds to complete the Osi and Ilesha-Baruba campuses of the university, saying that the campuses have lecture halls, classrooms, laboratories, and offices among other amenities that will ensure that the campuses are fully functional.

He reiterated that management of the institution would not condone indiscipline and internet frauds among its students, saying that any students found in such untoward behaviour had always been shown the way out of the institution.