Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, is set to graduate a total of 16,842 students during its 20th and 21st combined convocation ceremonies, with 603 earning Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees and 194 graduating with first-class honours.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Ugochukwu Bond Anyaehie, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing at the university’s Senate Chamber ahead of the convocation ceremonies scheduled to hold from November 15 to 20, 2026.
According to him, the graduands comprise students from the 2025 and 2026 academic sessions who have successfully completed their studies and fulfilled the institution’s requirements.
Giving a breakdown of the postgraduate graduands, Anyaehie said 603 students would receive PhD degrees, 29 would graduate with Master of Philosophy/PhD qualifications, 1,113 would receive master’s degrees, while 294 would be awarded Postgraduate Diplomas.
He explained that the forthcoming ceremonies would not only celebrate the academic achievements of the graduands but also highlight the institution’s progress in academic development, medical education, digital transformation, campus security, infrastructure and student welfare.
The Vice-Chancellor, who spoke on the administration’s vision of building “A Greater UNIZIK,” recalled that the institution evolved from the former Anambra State University of Technology before becoming a federal university in 1992. It was named after Nigeria’s first President, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Highlighting some of the achievements of his administration, Anyaehie identified the expansion of medical education as one of the major milestones, following the successful re-accreditation of the university’s medical programme by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
He disclosed that the university had increased its annual admission quota for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students from 100 to 300, representing a threefold increase.
The development, he said, would provide more opportunities for aspiring medical students and strengthen the country’s medical workforce.
He also revealed that the university was upgrading its Medical Centre to operate as a 24-hour emergency facility to improve healthcare delivery within the university community.
On campus security, the Vice-Chancellor said his administration had expanded the installation of closed-circuit television cameras and improved perimeter lighting to enhance safety.
He added that hostel facilities had received attention through the rehabilitation of water supply systems and restrooms, while weekly diesel allocations had been introduced to improve electricity supply in the hostels.
Speaking on digital advancement, Anyaehie announced that UNIZIK had been selected to participate in the Federal Government’s $617.7 million Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme, supported by the Bank of Industry, Agence Française de Développement and the Islamic Development Bank/African Development Bank.
He further disclosed that the university had expanded its internet bandwidth to 2Gbps through the AFD-NgREN arrangement, while equipment for the Galaxy Backbone Network Operations Centre had been installed in preparation for an additional 300Mbps capacity.
According to him, the institution had also established a TETFund ICT Experience Centre at Hall 2 of its Digital Library.
The centre is designed to promote research, training and practical learning in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity and software engineering.
Anyaehie said the university had equally upgraded its computer laboratories with modern equipment, including 200 all-in-one desktop computers, 20 high-performance laptops, interactive smart screens, Intel Xeon Core servers, enterprise network switches and video-conferencing facilities.
In a bid to improve administrative efficiency and reduce delays in accessing academic services, the Vice-Chancellor said the institution had introduced an online graduate clearance system.
He explained that the platform would eliminate the difficulties associated with physical clearance procedures and speed up the processing and issuance of statements of results.
He added that the university had digitised its historical registries, academic results and transcript archives to ensure easier and faster retrieval of students’ academic records.
The administration, he said, had also revamped the Vice-Chancellor’s Student Portal to facilitate direct and real-time communication between students and the university management.
On the institution’s academic standing, Anyaehie announced that UNIZIK had secured a joint fourth position among Nigerian universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
He also disclosed that the university’s debate team won the 13th All Nigerian Universities Debate Championship (ANUDC) for the first time in its history.
Similarly, the university’s athletes won silver and bronze medals at the 12th Federation of African University Sports (FASU) Games held in Cairo, Egypt.
The Vice-Chancellor said the achievements demonstrated the institution’s commitment to developing students academically, intellectually and socially beyond classroom activities.
As the graduands prepare to begin a new chapter of their lives, Anyaehie urged them to build their careers on discipline, self-reliance and excellence.
He described the graduating students as evidence of the university’s commitment to academic and character development, urging them to uphold the values acquired during their years of study.
“My charge to our graduands as they step into the world is to anchor their careers on discipline, self-reliance and excellence. They are the living proof that a greater UNIZIK is possible,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded by the institution and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to consolidating the achievements while positioning UNIZIK for greater academic excellence and institutional development.
The combined 20th and 21st convocation ceremonies, scheduled for November 15 to 20, will bring together the 2025 and 2026 graduating sets to celebrate their academic accomplishments and the university’s milestones.
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