Former UI VC Reacts as 58 Law Students Bag First Class
- 58 law students at the University of Ibadan graduated with first-class honours following Senate approval of the 2024/2025 results
- Former vice chancellor Idowu Olayinka defended the outcome and dismissed criticism, attributing the performance to strict admission standards
- The former vice chancellor noted that UI law graduates had consistently excelled at the Nigerian Law School
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Academic debate followed the confirmation that 58 students of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ibadan earned first-class honours at the end of the 2024/2025 academic session.
The figure represented about 40 percent of the 146 graduates and triggered both praise and criticism across social media platforms.
Source: UGC
The results were approved at a Senate meeting held on February 16, 2026. They were publicly confirmed by former vice chancellor Idowu Olayinka, who said he attended the meeting that validated the outcome.
UI law produces 58 first-class graduates
“It has been factually reported that 58 out of the 146 students which graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Ibadan at the end of the 2024/2025 academic session earned a First Class. Happily, I attended the Senate meeting that approved the results yesterday, 16th February 2026.”
Olayinka addressed negative reactions that emerged online, noting that criticism often comes from a limited understanding of academic processes.
Source: Twitter
He questioned why the proportion of first-class degrees should be considered abnormal, given the rigorous standards applied from admission through graduation.
Ex-VC defends UI results
According to the former vice chancellor, students admitted into the Faculty of Law typically record strong scores at the entry level.
“In reality, all the students admitted into the Faculty of Law at the University of Ibadan have potential to eventually graduate in First Class insofar as nearly all of them scored a weighted average mark of almost 70% in the UTME and Post UTME when they were offered admission.”
He added that this trend has been consistent for at least two decades. Olayinka disclosed that the merit cut-off mark for law for the 2025/2026 intake stood at 70.875 percent, compared with 78.875 percent for medicine and surgery and 71.375 percent for nursing science.
UI products' performance beyond classroom
Olayinka praised the University Senate for maintaining high standards and argued that it would be more concerning if students with strong academic backgrounds ended their studies with weak degrees.
He also pointed to the consistent performance of UI law graduates at the Nigerian Law School.
“What is important is that the UI Law Graduates are fit for purpose. They have always excelled in their Final Bar Examinations at the Nigerian Law School,” he said.
He commended the dean and staff of the Faculty of Law for nurturing excellence and congratulated all final year students whose results were approved, including the first set of Doctor of Pharmacy graduates.
Olayinka concluded with a message on institutional pride, stating that the university’s reputation was earned and must be sustained.
UI reclaims top spot in Nigeria rankings
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the University of Ibadan reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s highest-ranked university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, overtaking several long-standing competitors across the country.
Results released on Thursday, January 22, on the Times Higher Education website placed UI in the 801 to 1000 global band, making it the top-ranked Nigerian institution in the latest edition.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
