FUPRE Inducts Over 2,300 Freshers, Issues Stark Warning On Cultism, Cybercrime

Rita Enemuru, Reporting

THE Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), has officially welcomed 2,390 new students into its fold for the 2025/2026 academic year.

During the matriculation ceremony held on Saturday, university chiefs delivered a strong blend of welcome and warning, urging the freshers to seize opportunities while steering clear of misconduct.

Acting for the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ezekiel Agbalagba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Chiedu Uwabor, congratulated the students for surviving a “rigorous and merit-based” admissions process.

He declared their matriculation the start of a “transformative academic journey.”

In a firm address, Professor Agbalagba outlined the institution’s non-negotiable stance on vices. “FUPRE maintains a zero-tolerance policy for cultism, drug abuse, examination malpractice, cybercrime, and all forms of misconduct,” he stated, cautioning that such actions could “jeopardise” their futures.

He advised the students to let the university’s motto, “Excellence and Relevance,” guide them, warning that new-found freedoms must be balanced with “integrity and sound judgement.”

Highlighting FUPRE’s unique pedigree as Nigeria’s first and only specialised petroleum university—and the sixth of its kind worldwide—the VC positioned the institution as a pipeline for future industry leaders. “We are committed to producing problem-solvers for the energy sector and society,” he asserted.

He also touted the institution’s recent accolades, including its Hackathon team, ‘The Alchemists,’ winning a national engineering competition and three of its scholars being ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists.

The new intake, comprising 1,980 male and 410 female students, spans the Colleges of Science, Engineering and Technology, Maritime and Offshore Studies, Computing, and the newly emphasised College of Petroleum Administration and Management.

A key development is the admission of pioneer students into four new management programmes: Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Procurement Management, Petroleum Information Management, and Entrepreneurship. The first cohorts for Petroleum Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Microbiology have also been enrolled.

The event concluded with the administration of the matriculation oath, binding the students to the university’s community and standards.

The ceremony was attended by top university officials, including the Registrar, Dr (Mrs) Jane E. Omoyine, the University Librarian, Professor Mercy Anyaegbu, and the Deans of all colleges.