UI Matriculates 4,430 Students for 2025/2026 Session; VC Highlights 9.4% Admission Rate

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode O. Adebowale, has welcomed newly admitted students of the University of Ibadan for the 2025/2026 academic session, urging them to uphold discipline, integrity, and academic excellence as they begin their journey in the institution.

Professor kayode O. Adebowale made this statement during the University’s matriculation ceremony where he formally declared the event open and congratulated the students for securing admission into Nigeria’s premier university.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, admission into the University of Ibadan remains highly competitive. He revealed that 46,916 candidates applied to the University through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) with the institution as their first choice. He explained that 45,991 candidates applied through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) while 925 candidates applied through Direct Entry. Out of this number, 36,618 candidates met the University’s minimum requirement and participated in the post-UTME screening exercise.

Professor Kayode O. Adebowale noted that 7,046 candidates scored 50 percent and above, while 4,430 students were eventually admitted, comprising 4,171 through UTME and 259 through Direct Entry. He explained that this represents only 9.4 percent of the total number of applicants, describing the newly admitted students as part of a highly exceptional group. “You are not just statistics; you represent the small percentage of candidates who worked hard and earned the privilege of studying at this great institution,” he said.

Professor kayode O. Adebowale also highlighted the distribution of admitted students across faculties of the University. According to him, 159 students were admitted into the Faculty of Agriculture, 699 into the Faculty of Arts, 938 into the College of Medicine, 179 into the Faculty of Computing, 204 into the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, and 534 into the Faculty of Education.

He added that 187 students were admitted into the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management, 113 into the Faculty of Law, 138 into the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 71 into the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, 417 into the Faculty of Science, 471 into the Faculty of Technology, 303 into the Faculty of Social Sciences, and 18 into Veterinary Medicine.

The Vice-Chancellor reminded the matriculating students that the University, established in 1948 as a college of the University of London, has grown into a leading institution with over 23 faculties, more than 130 academic departments, two colleges, and six institutes.

He also highlighted some of the University’s recent achievements, including emerging first in the cloud computing category at the 2024–2025 YICT Global Competition held in China and ranking first in Nigeria in the 2026 Times Higher Education Government Grant assessment.

Professor Adebowale urged the students to make responsible decisions throughout their academic stay, noting that the choices they make will shape their future and determine their success. He advised them to choose friends who will challenge them intellectually, attend lectures regularly, engage with their lecturers, and make effective use of the University library.

The Vice-Chancellor also warned that the University maintains zero tolerance for examination malpractice, harassment, and other forms of misconduct, stressing that students must conduct themselves as worthy ambassadors of the institution both within and outside the campus.

The ceremony also featured the Matriculation Lecture delivered by Dr. Olusola Sayeed Ayoola, robotics and artificial intelligence expert and founder of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN), a leading robotics and artificial intelligence research and training institute in West Africa. 

In his lecture, Dr. Olusola Sayeed Ayoola shared his personal journey of perseverance while seeking admission into the University of Ibadan. He recounted how his name did not appear on the first three admission lists after applying to the University, which almost made him give up on his dream.

According to him, his name eventually appeared on the supplementary list months later, a moment he described as life-changing. “I cried because I had already given up,” he said, explaining that the experience motivated him to work hard so that the University would one day be proud to have admitted him. He encouraged the matriculating students to appreciate the opportunity given to them, noting that thousands of candidates desire to study at the University but never get the chance. Dr. Olusola Sayeed Ayoola urged the students to remain focused, determined, and committed to excellence throughout their academic journey.

The highlight of the ceremony was the oath taking by the matriculating students, later followed by the signing of the matriculation register, thereby confirming their status as students of the University.