Kano private varsity produces 30 first-class graduates, 13 PhD holders

Former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with members of the management of Skyline University Nigeria and graduands during the institution’s fifth convocation ceremony.

No fewer than 237 students of Skyline University Nigeria, Kano, graduated at its fifth convocation ceremony, including 30 who obtained First Class degrees.

The graduates are from the 2025/2026 academic session, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ajith Kumar, disclosed on Saturday while presenting the institution’s graduation statistics at the ceremony.

He said the 237 graduands comprised 183 bachelor’s degree recipients, 41 higher degree graduates and 13 doctorate holders.

Giving a breakdown of the undergraduate results, Kumar said, “Of the 183 undergraduate graduands, 30 obtained First Class degrees, 89 graduated with Second Class Upper, while 64 received Second Class Lower degrees.”

Kumar described the conferment of doctorate degrees for the first time as a major milestone since the university’s establishment in 2018.

“Today, we make history as Skyline University Nigeria graduates its first set of 13 doctorate degree holders. This is a defining moment in our academic development,” he said.

The vice-chancellor disclosed that the university had awarded 50 per cent scholarships to its top-performing graduates and secured full accreditation for three additional programmes from the National Universities Commission: BSc Islamic Economics and Finance, BSc Public Health and BSc Artificial Intelligence.

“Skyline University Nigeria is the first university in North-West Nigeria to receive approval for the BSc Artificial Intelligence programme, further demonstrating our commitment to advancing technology-driven education in the region,” he said.

• Kano arrests 1,760 drug suspects, secures 890 convictions
• FG debunks viral list of 2000 fake varsities
• Kano gov’s wife divorce saga sparks arrests

Kumar also highlighted the launch of the HP Gaming Garage, which he described as the first of its kind in Africa, as well as new international partnerships with institutions in India, Canada and the United Kingdom.

He said more than 43 organisations participated in the university’s career fair, while 10 per cent of the curriculum would be delivered by industry experts. Two academic staff, Dr Musa Innocent and Abdulsallam Mustapha, were recognised among Nigeria’s top researchers in the 2026 rankings.

On community development, the university trained 100 women in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, while 1,189 youths benefited from the World Bank-supported Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills project.

Addressing the graduands, Kumar said, “The degree you receive is a foundation, not a finished product. Continue to learn. Embrace lifelong learning. Stay curious. Stay ethical.”

Speaking earlier, former Kano State Governor and NDC vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, commended the university for its achievements over the past eight years.

“Today, when we talk about some of the best universities in Nigeria, particularly in this part of the country, Skyline University is certainly among the leading institutions. It may not be the cheapest, but it is certainly one of the best,” he said.

He added that if elected in 2027, his party would implement free and accessible education for all Nigerians and improve public and private universities across the country.