The University of Jos (UniJos) has announced major milestones ahead of its 35th and 36th combined convocation ceremonies, which coincide with the institution’s Golden Jubilee celebration.
Ishaya Tanko, a professor and Vice-Chancellor of the institution disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday in Jos, describing the moment as historic as the university marks 50 years of existence.
He added that December 1, 2025 also marked his fourth year in office as the 10th substantive Vice-Chancellor.
Ishaya said the institution had recorded remarkable achievements since the last convocation held two years ago, noting that UNIJOS had continued to grow despite longstanding challenges. He said many of the achievements were made possible through the support of government agencies, partners, donors and committed individuals.
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He announced that a total of 60,000 students would graduate at the combined convocation, including 9,236 diploma holders, 37,741 first degree graduates, and 13,023 postgraduates, making it one of the largest graduation figures in the history of the university.
According to him, “This is a great time in the history of UNIJOS because so many great things have happened and many more are in the pipeline. We welcome you as we conduct the Combined Convocation Ceremonies and the Golden Jubilee celebrations”.
He added, “These achievements are products of collective efforts by our partners, friends, the government through its agencies and spirited individuals who have been relentlessly supportive. We are celebrating not only our graduands but also 50 years of resilience and growth”.
The Vice-Chancellor said the Golden Jubilee activities which have already started would include an Anniversary Lecture by Christopher Musa, the Minister of Defence and a Convocation Lecture to be delivered by an alumnus, Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, he noted that the grand finale is scheduled for Saturday, December 13, 2025.
Tracing the history of the institution, he noted that UNIJOS began in 1972 as a campus of the University of Ibadan before becoming a full-fledged university in 1975. He said the university had grown from four faculties at inception to 17 faculties and 93 academic programmes, despite facing decades of funding, security and infrastructural challenges.
The VC announced that several new academic programmes had been approved in the past year, including Cyber Security Science, Data Science, Software Engineering, Forensic Science, Radiography, Physiotherapy, Public Administration, Social Work, Entrepreneurship and multiple education-based programmes. The full list, he said, would be highlighted during his convocation address.
He revealed that Plateau State had been selected as one of six hosts for the Federal Government’s Technology Centres of Excellence, adding that the UNIJOS centre would focus on Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. The centre, he said, would help Nigeria build skilled professionals and support emerging digital industries.
The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that the university received ₦4 billion under the TETFund Special High Impact Intervention to upgrade infrastructure for training medical professionals. Another ₦4 billion came through the ICT-DEV Project funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), bringing total recent intervention funding to ₦8 billion.
He said the Rural Electrification Agency donated 430 solar streetlights to the university, with 100 already installed, and also selected UniJos as one of three beneficiaries for the Energizing Education Programme Phase VI under the AfDB-funded Desert to Power Initiative.
Ishaya announced that the university recently hosted the 27th Nigerian University Games (NUGA), which recorded the highest number of participating institutions in its history.
He thanked the Federal Government, Plateau State Government, donor agencies, staff unions, alumni and development partners for their contributions. He said the institution remained committed to fulfilling the vision of its founding fathers and leaving lasting legacies for future administrations.
He called on stakeholders to join the celebrations, support the university’s future projects and continue working together to take UNIJOS to greater heights as it marks 50 years of existence.
