No fewer than 6,500 graduates were on Friday conferred with first degrees, 182 postgraduate diplomas, while 763 were conferred with Master’s degrees and 269 got PhD degrees.

Apart from award of degrees, some others were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees on science, politics and strategy and entrepreneurship respectively.

They include Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and Chief Emeka Offor.

Speaking at the 13th Convocation ceremony for the conferment of higher degrees, postgraduate diplomas and honorary degrees at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Anambra State.

President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Anthony Anwuka, said that his administration is poised to address youth unemployment and underemployment in the country.

He called on the youths to embrace the opportunities the Federal Government had put in place to mitigate the unemployment situation for the time being.

Buhari reminded the graduands that university degrees does not usher anyone into an El Dorado but It rather equips a person with the competence to grapple with the ever-changing challenges of life, of which youth unemployment is one.

He maintained that the Federal Government will remain undaunted in tackling the challenges of youth unemployment and underemployment through some initiatives.

He listed such initiatives to include: N-Power, the Bank of Industry Youth Entrepreneurship Support Programme and the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Agriculture Support Schemes.

Buhari hailed the management of the university for the infrastructural development evident on campus.

Earlier In his address, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, said the 13th convocation of the institution was for the 2017/2018 academic year.