71-year-old woman becomes oldest student in UNILAG history to bag PhD

Felicia Marinze, a 71-year-old woman, has emerged as the oldest student to bag a Ph.D. degree at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) since the institution was established.

According to NAN, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, the vice-chancellor of the institution, broke the news at a briefing ahead of the varsity’s 51st convocation on Wednesday.

Marinze graduated from the department of European Languages and International Studies at the varsity’s School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS).

Commenting on the development, Ogundipe said Marinze is also one of the best graduating students from the institution.

The vice-chancellor added that Olatunji Moruf from the department of Marine Science and Ekundayo Mesagan of the department of Economics will also be awarded the best Ph.D. thesis in Humanities, alongside Marinze.

“The three-day convocation will culminate in the graduation of 15,753 students. These comprise of 7,754 students who will be awarded first degrees and 7,999 Postgraduate degrees,” he said.

“We shall also award 160 Diplomas in Social Works and Human Kinetics. The Faculty of Engineering came tops in the category of first class with 70, followed by Management Sciences with 59 among others.”

He also said that the university will be giving a posthumous honorary award to Ibidapo Obe, one of its late vice-chancellors.

Ogundipe said the university will also award honorary doctorate degree to Ameyo Stella, a lead consultant physician and endocrinologist at the first consultant hospital, at the ceremony.

Others that will be honoured at the event are Mohammed Indimi, Kessington Adebutu and Biodun Shobanjo, chairman of Troyka Holdings Ltd.

The vice-chancellor said that the university had in the last year recorded huge success, particularly in the area of research and internalisation infrastructure upgrade.

He noted that the institution has also attracted a total of N14 billion research grants in the last three years, both locally and internationally.