The Governing Council and Senate of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, have announced plans to confer honourary doctorates on three distinguished Nigerians during the institution’s 29th convocation.
The recipients are the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; former Minister of Finance and current Chairman of the Governing Board of the Bank of Industry, Dr. Mansur Muhtar; and the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zach Adedeji.
According to a statement signed by EKSU Deputy Registrar, Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Mr. Bode Olofinmuagun, the event, scheduled for Saturday, March 29, 2025, aims to honor these individuals for their immense contributions to the development of the university and the growth of Nigeria.
Meet the Honourees
Opeyemi Bamidele
Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, a law graduate of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), previously served as a special assistant on legal matters and later as Commissioner for Youths, Sports, and Social Development in Lagos State during President Bola Tinubu’s tenure as governor.
A member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Iyin-Ekiti, Bamidele was elected to the National Assembly in 2019, representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District.
He has received several honorary doctorates, including a Doctor of Public Law (Honoris Causa) from the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, on February 11, 2024, and a Doctor of Public Administration (Honoris Causa) from Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji Arakeji, on January 23, 2023.
At the grand finale of the EKSU 29th convocation on March 29, 2025, he will be awarded a Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) at the university’s main campus in Ado-Ekiti.
Bamidele is a Life Bencher of Nigeria’s Body of Benchers and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. In October 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari conferred on him the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), a national honor awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities or fields of expertise.
Zach Adedeji
Dr. Zach Adedeji, a finance expert from Ogbomoso, is a first-class graduate of Management and Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). He later obtained an MSc and a PhD from his alma mater.
Before his appointment as Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in September 2023, Adedeji built a successful career in financial management at Procter & Gamble (P&G). He also served as the Commissioner for Finance in Oyo State (2011–2015) under the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Mansur Muhtar
Dr. Mansur Muhtar, an economist from Kano, served as Minister of Finance during the administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua (December 2008 – March 2010).
An alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), where he earned a BSc in Economics, Muhtar furthered his studies in the United Kingdom, obtaining an MSc in Economics and Politics of Development from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Economics from the University of Sussex.
A former lecturer at Bayero University, Kano, where he rose to become Head of the Economics Department, Muhtar has had a distinguished career in both private and public institutions, including United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the World Bank, where he held strategic positions.
EKSU 2025 Convocation Programmes of Events
The 2025 convocation is a combined event that commenced on Monday, March 24, 2025, with a press conference by the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele, followed by a convocation play at 4:00 p.m. at the 3,000-seater lecture hall.
On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the Convocation Lecture will be delivered by Emeritus Professor Adebisi M. Balogun at the Main Auditorium at 12:00 noon. He will speak on the topic “Leadership, Governance, and the Performance of Public Universities in Nigeria.” Later in the day, the EKSU Team will face the BOUESTI Team in a soccer competition at the EKSU Sports Complex at 4:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, March 26, an Evening with the Vice-Chancellor will take place at the 3,000-seater Multipurpose Auditorium at 5:00 p.m.
The Convocation Meeting and Alumni Dinner are scheduled for Thursday, March 27. The meeting will be held at the Main Auditorium at 11:00 a.m., while the Alumni Dinner will take place at Amazing Grace Hotel and Holiday Inn at 4:00 p.m.
On Friday, March 28, the Award of Sub-Degrees and First Degrees, along with the Presentation of Prizes, will be held at the Main Auditorium at 10:00 a.m.
The grand finale will feature the conferment of Postgraduate Diplomas, Master’s, and Doctorate Degrees, as well as the awarding of Honorary Degrees to distinguished Nigerians at 11:00 a.m. at the institution’s Main Auditorium.
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