President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, as a foremost symbol of national peace and unity.
Tinubu made the remark at the 10th Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), held on Saturday at the university’s main auditorium in Ekiti State, where the Sultan received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Public Administration.
Represented by the Sarki Fulani of Lagos, Mohammed Abubakar Banbado II, the President said the Sultan had distinguished himself as a bridge-builder and multifaceted leader whose contributions had strengthened harmony across Nigeria.
The Sultan was among several eminent Nigerians honoured at the ceremony. Others included former Chief Justice of Nigeria, retired Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
The honorary degrees were conferred by FUOYE Chancellor and Attah of Igala, Dr Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche Akpa, assisted by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina and Pro-Chancellor and Governing Council Chairman, Sen. Victor Udoma-Egba.
Also speaking on behalf of the President, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, highlighted the administration’s education initiatives, noting that over ₦120 billion had been invested to expand access to quality higher education for Nigerian youths.
Delivering the convocation lecture, Bishop Kukah called for stronger national cohesion and inclusiveness, stressing that managing Nigeria’s diversity remained central to sustainable development. Reflecting on the country’s political evolution, he argued that repeated state creation had contributed to some national challenges and urged leaders to prioritise unity and mutual trust across ethnic and religious lines.
In his address, Vice-Chancellor Fasina outlined key milestones under his tenure, including the graduation of FUOYE’s first set of law students, and announced that the ceremony would be his last as Vice-Chancellor.
He disclosed that of the more than 7,000 graduating students, 131 earned First Class honours; 2,519 obtained Second Class Upper Division; 3,777 graduated with Second Class Lower; 966 with Third Class; and three with Pass degrees.
The Overall Best Graduating Student, Adeniyi Maryam Adedolapo of the Department of Medical Sciences (Anatomy), graduated with a CGPA of 4.89. She received ₦500,000 from the Vice-Chancellor, with additional cash awards of ₦500,000 from the Pro-Chancellor, ₦150,000 from the Attah of Igala, and further donations from the university’s Muslim community and other well-wishers.
The ceremony also featured goodwill messages from the Pro-Chancellor and other dignitaries.
