By Susan Eboh, Reporting
AMBITION donned a gown, hope signed an oath, and the future answered ‘present’. The long-awaited day finally arrived, as school leavers transformed into scholars and the journey of profound lectures and looming exams officially began. “Welcome to the Matriculation Ceremony of 2025/2026″ was emblazoned across the KolaDaisi University banner.
Congratulatory sentiments filled the air on the 5th of February, 2026, as matriculants gathered before the university’s Agbeke Hall.
This was no ordinary ceremony; it was the moment dreams were formally enrolled. Proud parents arrived as early as 8 a.m., joining over three hundred excited new students poised to step into a new era, marking the start of the formal academic procession.
Inside, faculty banners demarcated orderly rows, representing the four core faculties: Applied Sciences; Arts, Management and Social Sciences; Law; and Basic Medical Science.
The ceremony commenced with the solemn procession of the Vice-Chancellor. The national and university anthems were sung with vigorous commitment, after which the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adeniyi Olatunbosun, SAN, took the podium to formally open proceedings. He welcomed all matriculants and parents, advising that this ceremony “opens the door—what you become depends on how you walk through it.”
Following the Vice-Chancellor’s address, guest speaker Dr. Ijeh Felix introduced the ceremony’s theme: “Discipline, Knowledge and Leadership.” In an inspirational speech, he advised students to focus diligently on their academics, avoid distractions, and emphasised that knowledge is earned, not transferred.
The deans of the respective faculties were then invited to stand with their students. The Registrar, Mr. Lanre Olatunbosun, administered the matriculation oath, urging the new students to repeat the words as a solemn and sacred pledge—a call to uphold the university’s values.
If excitement had a sound, it was the resounding applause that echoed through the hall after the Vice-Chancellor declared the ceremony closed, followed by a final rendition of the national anthem.
The formal recession then began, led by the Vice-Chancellor and university staff, followed by the matriculants. Parents waited at the exits, phones aloft, ready to capture the historic moment. With that, new names, new numbers, and new beginnings were inscribed into the university’s register.
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