Igbinedion University, Okada, held its 25th matriculation ceremony as a formal induction of its new students into the academic community at the institution’s premises in Okada, Ovia North East, Edo State.
Over 1,500 students were matriculated into various colleges, schools, and departments of the university, with representation from the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In his welcome address on Saturday, February 24, at the university’s main auditorium, the Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada, Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, congratulated the newest members of the institution, explaining that the matriculation ceremony represents the beginning of a transformative journey.
“To our new students, I want to emphasize the importance of this moment. You are not just entering a university; you are becoming a part of a vibrant and diverse community that values knowledge, inquiry, and discovery,” Prof. Ezemonye said.
The Vice Chancellor christened the sets of students with a brand name as has been the customary practice of the institution since 2008. He christened the 2024 set as “Silvers,” saying, “The reason for this brand name is not far-fetched. This is predicated on the fact that your matriculation into our great university coincides with its 25th anniversary (Silver Jubilee). By implication, the accident of history has singled out your set as a special and very dear set to the Management of the University, probably second only to the pioneer set.”
While admonishing the students, Prof. Ezemonye advised them to strike a balance between their academics, extracurricula activities, and social life to strive for academic excellence. He also revealed that master classes with industry facilitators feature regularly, forming part of the school’s curricula to expose the students to life skills set beyond the theory, leveraging on the industry-academia interface.
“Similarly, The Graduate Code, otherwise known as the Career Enhancement and Resilience Training (CERT), which is a one-semester compulsory internal online course for final year students, is up and running,” the Vice Chancellor said.
Further, speaking at the event was the Deputy Chancellor of the University and former Executive Governor of Edo State, Sir. Dr. Lucky Igbinedion welcomed the matriculates into the citadel of learning.
In a lecture given by the guest speaker, Mr. Darlington Onyeagoro, founder/CEO of Aladdin Digital Bank, Lagos, the students were encouraged to make use of their creative minds and employ innovations to propel their ideas.
In the lecture titled “Innovation and Creativity in a Digital World: Future Ready Tool Kit,” Mr. Onyeagoro gave insights on ways the students can actualize innovative ideas with the power of their creative minds to succeed, citing examples of global prominent individuals and successful startups.
The matriculation climaxed with the introduction of the students of the various colleges by their respective college deans, the presentation of an award for the outstanding academic performance of older undergraduates of the institution, and the presentation of cash prizes to students who won the recently concluded Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme.
The matriculating students, their parents, and guardians could not contain their joy as they wore the venue with beautiful and ceremonious looks.
Miss Christabel Ewomazino Akpo, one of the matriculating students in the College of Medicine, expressed her joy over the occasion, saying, “I am so happy to be here and to be among the lucky students of this prestigious university. I am here to make my parents proud, myself, and Nigeria proud.”
Likewise, in a statement by Dr. (Mrs.) Cynthia Gregg, a parent of one of the matriculating students praised the institution for their standards.
“My son is studying in one of the premier universities in Nigeria so I am proud to be a parent here. My son is matriculating today; he is a law student, so yes, I am a proud mother today,” Dr. Gregg said.
