The University of Ibadan has formally welcomed 4,215 newly admitted undergraduate students for the 2024/2025 academic session during a grand matriculation ceremony held at the institution’s International Conference Centre on Wednesday.
Addressing the new students, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, charged them to uphold integrity, pursue excellence, and make the most of the opportunities available to them at Nigeria’s premier university.
“Strive for excellence, good character, discipline, leverage opportunities, participate in community service, uphold integrity, avoid plagiarism and exam malpractice,” Professor Adebowale urged.
While analysing the university’s admission statistics, the Vice-Chancellor revealed that a massive 22,000 candidates had applied for admission into the institution through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), at both UTME and Direct Entry levels, from within and outside Nigeria.
“It is instructive for me to note that almost 22,000 candidates sought admission into the University of Ibadan through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, both at the UTME and direct entry levels from within and outside the country for the 2024/2025 academic session,” he said.
He further explained that 11,912 candidates sat for the Post-UTME, having met the 200-point threshold, while 7,017 of them scored 50 percent and above. A total of 4,411 were offered admission through UTME, and 238 through Direct Entry. However, only 4,215 were eventually cleared and matriculated.
“Only 4,215 were cleared to become our students out of the staggering 22,000 who sought admission,” he affirmed, describing the successful candidates as “champions of the champions.”
The excitement was palpable among the fresh students. Akinsola Oluwamayowa, admitted into the Faculty of Law, expressed deep joy at his successful admission.
“I feel elated because it is the fulfillment of a prophecy that was made a long time ago. I look forward to achieving something that, in retrospect, will make me feel like UI is exactly where I am meant to be,” he said.
For Oyewande Darasimi, who gained admission to study History, the journey ahead is clear.
“My academic and personal goal for the next four years is to graduate with a first-class honours degree. One of the challenges I anticipated was the stress of manual registration, but I’ve been able to overcome some of it,” she said optimistically.
Ahead of the matriculation, the university held a two-day orientation programme for the new students, where it stressed the importance of character development, academic excellence, safety, and involvement in campus life.
NAN
