IBADAN,Nigeria/PAULESI GRADUATES 106 SCHOLARS FROM 41 AFRICAN MEMBER STATES AT 2025 CONVOCATION CEREMONIES

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE

Press Release No: 203/2025                                       Date: 21 November 2025
Venue: Ibadan, Nigeria     

PAULESI GRADUATES 106 SCHOLARS FROM 41 AFRICAN MEMBER STATES AT 2025 CONVOCATION CEREMONIES

The Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute (including Health and Agriculture) – PAULESI, hosted at the University of Ibadan, successfully concluded its 2025 Convocation Ceremonies with the graduation of 106 scholars from 41 African countries.

The ceremonies, held over two days, saw 73 Master’s degree recipients conferred on Saturday, November 15, 2025, followed by 33 Doctoral degree recipients on Monday, November 17, 2025. The graduates completed rigorous programs across nine specialized fields, including Petroleum Geoscience, Plant Breeding, Reproductive Health, Environmental Management, Mineral Exploration, Vaccine Production and Quality Control, Sport Management, Medicinal Plant Research and Drug Development, and Avian Medicine.

The graduand cohort demonstrated remarkable gender balance, with 52 female graduates (49%) and 54 male graduates (51%). At the Master’s level, female scholars comprised 56% of graduates, while the doctoral cohort included 33% female graduates.

During the doctoral ceremony, the Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Amirul Mumineen Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar IV, recognized four outstanding graduands for academic excellence—two from science-based disciplines and two from arts and humanities disciplines. The ceremonies also featured goodwill messages from friends of the University.

The geographic diversity of the 2025 graduating class reflects PAULESI’s pan-African mandate, with scholars representing nations from across West, East, Central, Southern, and

North Africa. Countries represented include Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and 26 others.

PAULESI operates as part of the Pan African University system, an initiative of the African Union designed to strengthen postgraduate education and research across the continent. The Life and Earth Sciences Institute, headquartered at the University of Ibadan, focuses on addressing Africa’s challenges in agriculture, health, environmental management, and natural resource development through locally driven research and innovation.

The 2025 graduates will return to their respective countries equipped with advanced skills and knowledge to contribute to sustainable development, scientific advancement, and policy formulation across the African continent.

For further information, please contact:

Ms Claudette Chancelle BILAMPASSI MOUTSATSI | ESTI Department- Pan African University | African Union Commission | E-mail: BilampassiC@africanunion.org | Tel: +251 11 518 2014/ +251 11 5182518 |

Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia    

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