The management of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), has announced the introduction of passports of graduands on their certificates to check forgery.

Professor Suleiman Bala-Mohammed, Vice Chancellor of the University, made this known at a pre-convocation press briefing held at the institution in Keffi local government area of the state on Tuesday.

The University is scheduled to hold its 7th convocation ceremony covering graduands of the 2020/2021 academic session on Saturday, May 27, 2023.

Mr Bala-Mohammed said unlike in the past, certificates issued after the 7th convocation ceremony will carry the photographs of the graduands as part of innovations carried out by management of the university to reduce forgery.

“Our certificates will henceforth carry the photographs of all our graduating students. We are doing so to reduce the idea of confirmation of results and make it more difficult to forge,” he said.

He added that the innovation is the brainchild of the University’s Information and Computer Technology (ICT) centre in collaboration with Nigeria Printing Security and Minting Company so as to print out certificates that cannot be easily manipulated or forged.

“Even if there is some collusion at our own level, you will still have to go to the Security and Minting Company for further verification. So it’s like a double check.

“Another important innovation to the certificates is that there is now Quick Response Code on them making it possible to instantly authenticate the results. So these certificates represent quality progress over the ones that were issued in the past,” he said.

The NSUK VC then revealed that for the undergraduate programme, a total of 5,984 graduands were found worthy to be awarded first degrees in various disciplines while for the postgraduate programme, a total of 1,677 graduands were also awarded various postgraduate degrees.

“The breakdown of the undergraduate programme is as follows: First Class 33, Second Class Upper 1,598. Second Class Lower 3,906, with Third Class graduands numbering 447.

“For the postgraduate programme, PhD graduands are 134, Academic Masters 633, Professional Masters 357 and Postgraduate Diploma graduands number 553. I congratulate all the graduands,” he said.

He explained that activities for the convocation ceremony had already commenced with an interdenominational prayer by the christian community held at the Chapel of Salvation in the university on Sunday, May 21, 2023.

“On Friday, May 26, we shall have the Jummat prayers by the Muslim community at the University central mosque. This will be followed by the Convocation lecture and award of special prizes the same day.

“The convocation lecturer is Professor Brunon Holyst, a renowned Professor of Criminalistic and Criminology from Poland. The title of the convocation lecture is: ‘A new approach to criminology: a global perspective’,” he added.

Mr Bala-Mohammed further revealed that two individuals who have made significant contributions to human endeavours will be conferred with doctorate degrees from the university on Saturday, May 27.

“They are Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, for his tremendous role in Nigeria’s foreign policy, having served as one of Nigeria’s longest serving ambassadors to the United Nations.

“The second is Professor Holyst Brunon, a renowned Professor of Criminology, Victimology, and Criminalistics Psychology at the Management Academy of Applied Science in Warsaw, Poland, in recognition of his men’s contributions to the academic community, especially in the field of criminology and Criminalistics Psychology,” he said. 

(NAN)