The University of Calabar (UNICAL) will graduate a total of 10,820 students during its 38th convocation ceremony, with 52 students bagging First Class honours.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Offiong Efanga Offiong, disclosed this on Thursday, 2nd April 2026, during a press briefing to mark the commencement of convocation activities.
A breakdown of the graduands shows that 9,173 will receive first degrees, 152 will get diplomas, while 1,495 are postgraduate students.
Of the 9,173 first-degree graduands, 52 made First Class, 2,390 earned Second Class Upper Division, 5,819 obtained Second Class Lower Division, 666 graduated with Third Class, and 246 finished with Pass degrees.
Prof. Offiong described the upcoming convocation as the first under his administration, calling it a significant milestone for the institution.
He outlined the programme schedule as follows:
- April 7: Interdenominational thanksgiving service
- April 9: Convocation lecture and research fair/exhibition
- April 10: Award of diplomas, first degrees, and master’s degrees at the Abraham Ordia Stadium
- April 11: Award of PhDs, honorary degrees, and launch of the university’s endowment fund
The Vice Chancellor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to academic excellence, transparency, and institutional reforms. He particularly highlighted efforts to tackle admission irregularities, irregular employment processes, and certificate racketeering.
Prof. Offiong urged the media to support the university by projecting its positive activities while helping to expose any unethical practices that could undermine its integrity.
A total of 463 PhD candidates are expected to be awarded their degrees during the ceremony.
