IBADAN, Nigeria (AP) — Fifty-eight out of 146 law students from the University of Ibadan clinched first-class honors in the 2024/2025 session, according to Idowu Olayinka, the university’s former vice-chancellor. Olayinka, who attended the senate meeting that rubber-stamped the grades on February 16, 2026, shared the news on his verified Facebook page.

“It has been factually reported that 58 out of the 146 students who graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Ibadan at the end of the 2024/2025 academic session earned a First Class,” Olayinka wrote. He stressed that this success stems from rigorous admissions: nearly all law admits score a weighted average near 70% on the UTME and Post-UTME exams.

The merit cut-off for law stood at 70.875% for the 2025/2026 cycle, lower than 78.875% for medicine and surgery and 71.375% for nursing science, Olayinka noted. “So we should not be surprised if, in a few years, these students also post excellent results,” he added.

Congratulatory posts lit up X on Tuesday. The UI Law Students’ Society shared a photo of the graduates, captioning it: “58 First Class Graduates! This is not chance. This is discipline, resilience, sleepless nights, and relentless excellence. Congratulations to LLB ’25 — your hard work has written history. You did not just pass. You raised the standard.”

The UI Alumni Association chimed in with full breakdown: 58 first-class, 71 second-class upper division, and 17 second-class lower division. “Congratulations once again,” their post read.

Olayinka credited the pattern to the faculty’s high-caliber intake over two decades. He praised the senate, Dean Olufemi Ajayi, and staff for upholding standards that prepare graduates for the Nigerian Law School’s final bar exams, where UI law alumni consistently shine. “What is important is that the UI Law graduates are fit for purpose. They have always excelled,” he said. He urged commendation over criticism for the faculty.

University management has not released an official statement. Still, the results burnished UI’s reputation as Nigeria’s premier institution, founded in 1948. Law remains among its flagship programs, producing judges, attorneys, and policymakers.

Olayinka called the cohort’s performance a new benchmark. With 40% earning top honors, it outpaces many peers. Social media buzz from alumni groups and student bodies amplified the story, tagging university handles and using #UILaw2025.

One alumnus posted: “UI Law does it again. Pride of the First and the Best.” Another from the 2010 set wrote: “This is why UI remains unmatched. Discipline pays.”

The faculty admits about 146 students yearly, drawing from top JAMB scorers nationwide. Olayinka highlighted that potential first-class talent fills the roster from day one. Faculty rigor, he said, unlocks it.

Reactions poured in from across Nigeria. A Lagos-based lawyer tweeted: “58 first-class from UI Law? That’s the standard. Other faculties, take note.” Education advocates pointed to it as proof of merit-based admissions’ power amid debates over quotas.

UI, in Oyo State, enrolls over 40,000 students. Its law faculty traces to 1960. Graduates often top the Nigerian Law School’s call-to-bar list, feeding the bench and bar.

Olayinka wrapped up: “Rather than any unsubstantiated criticisms, the Dean and all members of staff in the Faculty of Law at UI should be commended for bringing out the best in their students.”