Redeemer’s University Breaks Record with 185 First-Class Graduates

Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, has recorded its highest number of First-Class graduates since inception, with 185 students attaining the top academic honour in the 2025 graduating set.

Also in a major development for Nigeria’s private education sector, the Vice – Chancellor, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele announced that Redeemer’s University has been selected by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) as one of the only eight private universities in the country approved to train government-sponsored postgraduate students.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, made this know yesterday during a press briefing to mark the university’s 17th convocation ceremony and 20th anniversary celebration.

Akindele described the milestone as “a reflection of the institution’ s commitment to academic excellence and character development,” adding that the 2025 convocation represents a season of “double honour” for the faith-based institution.

According to him, “We are not only graduating from another distinguished class, the indomitable Set of 2025, but we are also celebrating 20 years of Redeemer’s University. Indeed, this is a season of double honour,” he said.

“This is a remarkable feat, especially considering that there are 168 private universities in Nigeria as at today.

The Vice-Chancellor noted: “It affirms the credibility and standard of our postgraduate programmes,” the Vice-Chancellor stated. A total of 1,341 students are graduating this year, comprising 1,003 undergraduates and 338 postgraduates.”

Among them, Mr. Joel Durugbo, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, emerged as the overall best graduating student with a perfect 5.0 CGPA, another first in the university’s history.

Akindele also highlighted the institution’s growing international profile, noting that Redeemer’s University ranked number two in Nigeria in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and emerged No. 1 in several Sustainable Development Goals categories.

The university’s African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), led by Professor Christian Happi, has also continued to earn global acclaim.

Happi was recently listed among TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 for his pioneering work in genomics and public health.

“These milestones confirm Redeemer’s University as a place where faith, knowledge, and innovation converge for global impact,” Akindele said.

The Vice-Chancellor recounted highlights of the university’s 20th anniversary, including new infrastructure projects commissioned by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the university’s Visitor, and Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye.

Among the commissioned projects were the Faculty of Law building, the Josephus Institute of Earth Sciences, and the Redeemer’s University Staff School.

Pastor Adeboye also performed the sod-turning of a proposed 10,000-seater university chapel auditorium.

Three prominent Nigerians, Evangelist Omolewa Yetunde Ahmed, Evangelist Mike Bamiloye, and Mr. Kola Adesina, are to receive honorary doctorate degrees during the convocation ceremonies later this week.

Akindele concluded the briefing with optimism about the university’s future.

“As we celebrate 20 years of God’s faithfulness and the release of the Indomitable Set, I declare that the best days of Redeemer’s University are still ahead,” he noted.