Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, has honoured outstanding students and members of staff for academic excellence, innovation, community impact and dedicated service to the institution.
The awards ceremony, held on Tuesday at the university’s main auditorium, was part of activities marking the institution’s 18th convocation ceremony.
The awards recognised individuals across various categories, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in Corporate Leadership Award, Socio-Economic Impact Award, Vice-Chancellor’s Award, Community Impact Award and Best Researcher Awards for STEM as well as Humanities, Social Sciences, Law and Management Sciences.
Other categories included 20-year and 10-year Long Service Awards, Junior Staff Award, Administrative/Technical Staff Award, Outstanding Technology Innovation Award and BIT Scholars Award.
A total of 98 graduating students were also recognised with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for their academic performances, while 816 outstanding students were listed on the Dean’s Roll of Honour for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The recognised students cut across the university’s faculties and departments, with several of them recording exceptional academic performances, including CGPAs of 5.00.
Students from disciplines including Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, Computer Science, Cyber Security, Engineering, Accounting, Business Administration, Banking and Finance, Industrial Chemistry, Microbiology, Mathematics and Computer Science, among others, were recognised.
The university also honoured staff members who had contributed to its growth through years of dedicated service.
Those recognised under the 20-year service category included staff from departments and units such as English, Transport Management, Economics, Sociology and Social Work, Biological Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Mass Communication, Students’ Support Services, Internal Audit, Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, the University Health Centre and the Office of the Vice-Chancellor.
Speaking on the significance of the recognition, Mrs Funmilola Ayeni of the Bursary Department, who received an award for 10 years of service, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to grow professionally at the institution.
“I am very excited receiving this award today for 10 years. Since 2016, I have been in the Bursary Department. I thank God for the opportunity to grow in my career as an accountant,” she said.
Ayeni urged workers to remain committed to their responsibilities and approach their duties with diligence.
“They need to work harder and do their job diligently, as if they are working for the Lord who rewards,” she said.
She described the moment her name was announced among the award recipients as unexpected.
“When my name was mentioned, it was like a dream,” she added.
Ayeni also encouraged students to remain focused and take advantage of the academic and character-building opportunities provided by the university.
“The students should keep working hard. Allow the university to pass through you. The citadel is building them to be great nationwide,” she said.
Also speaking, Mrs Olushola Akinlawon, another long-service award recipient, said the recognition made her reflect on her more than two decades of service to the institution.
“I am one of the awardees. I was so happy today that when I woke up, I couldn’t imagine I had just spent over 20 years in service,” she said.
Akinlawon described the award as more than a celebration of years spent at the university, saying it should serve as a reminder of the responsibility that comes with dedicated service.
She urged workers to remain loyal to their organisation and continue striving for excellence.
“I advise everyone to be loyal to the organisation. I believe the sky is your limit,” she said.
She added that receiving an award should encourage recipients to improve rather than become complacent.
“When we’re given an award like this, it communicates that we need to work harder,” Akinlawon said.
The ceremony brought together academic and non-academic staff, students and members of the university community to celebrate achievements in scholarship, service and institutional development.
The recognition of outstanding students alongside long-serving staff members underscored the university’s emphasis on excellence, discipline, commitment and loyalty as important values in both academic and professional life.
