A total of 16,842 students are set to graduate from Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, during its 20th and 21st combined convocation ceremonies, with 194 graduands earning First Class degrees.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Anyaehie, disclosed this on Thursday, November 12, 2026, during a press briefing at the university’s Council Chambers in Awka, ahead of the ceremonies scheduled to take place from November 15 to 20, 2026.
Key Highlights
- UNIZIK announces 16,842 graduands for its 20th and 21st combined convocation.
- A total of 194 students will graduate with First Class degrees.
- The graduands comprise 14,803 first-degree recipients and 2,039 postgraduate students.
- Postgraduate graduands include 603 PhD holders.
- Convocation ceremonies are scheduled for November 15 to 20, 2026.
- UNIZIK is ranked joint fourth among Nigerian universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
- The university highlights its academic, technological and infrastructural achievements.
Breakdown of UNIZIK Graduands
According to Anyaehie, the graduating students comprise 14,803 first-degree recipients and 2,039 postgraduate students.
The postgraduate category includes 603 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates, 1,113 Master of Science degree holders, 29 Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) graduates and 294 Postgraduate Diploma recipients.
The Vice-Chancellor congratulated the graduands, describing their achievements as evidence of discipline, hard work and perseverance.
He said the university had equipped them with the knowledge and character required to confront global challenges with competence, creativity and integrity.
He explained that the combined convocation would celebrate graduates from the 2025 and 2026 academic sessions who had successfully completed their respective programmes and fulfilled the institution’s requirements for character and learning.
UNIZIK Highlights Academic and Institutional Achievements
Anyaehie also highlighted the university’s history, recalling its origins as an offshoot of the former Anambra State University of Technology before its establishment as a federal university in 1992.
The institution was named after Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Beyond the graduation figures, the Vice-Chancellor outlined the administrative, technological and infrastructural achievements recorded under his administration, guided by the vision, “A Greater UNIZIK is Possible”.
Among the milestones he highlighted was the university’s selection for the Federal Government’s $617.7 million Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises programme, supported by the Bank of Industry and Agence Française de Développement.
He also cited the institution’s performance in national and international academic and extracurricular competitions as evidence of its growing reputation.
According to him, UNIZIK is ranked joint fourth among Nigerian universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
The university’s debate team also won the 13th All Nigerian Universities Debate Championship for the first time in its history.
Similarly, UNIZIK athletes secured silver and bronze medals at the 12th Federation of African University Sports (FASU) Games held in Cairo, Egypt.
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Vice-Chancellor Charges Graduands on Excellence
The Vice-Chancellor described the forthcoming convocation as an opportunity to celebrate the academic accomplishments of the graduating students and showcase the institution’s progress in academic excellence, innovation and sustainable development.
He urged the graduands to uphold discipline, self-reliance and excellence as they prepare to begin the next phase of their lives.
“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.
The combined convocation is expected to bring together graduands, parents, guardians, university officials and other stakeholders to celebrate the academic achievements of the institution’s graduating students. More information is available on the official UNIZIK website.
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