By Idris Umar, Zaria More than 6,000 postgraduate students have formally joined Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, for the 20...
By Idris Umar, Zaria
More than 6,000 postgraduate students have formally joined Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, for the 2025/2026 academic session, as the institution intensifies efforts to reposition postgraduate education around research, innovation and emerging technologies.
The newly admitted students took the university’s matriculation oath on Wednesday at the Postgraduate College Auditorium, Samaru, Zaria, during a ceremony attended by university officials and heads of various academic and support units.
Addressing the students, ABU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, said the new postgraduate intake came at a time of significant transformation in the university’s postgraduate education system.
According to him, ABU is moving beyond traditional approaches to postgraduate education towards a model that is increasingly research-driven, innovative, technology-enabled and responsive to the needs of society.
Ahmed said the admission of approximately 6,000 postgraduate students demonstrated the continued confidence in the university as a centre for advanced learning and research.
“You are now part of a growing community of scholars expected to continue to give knowledge and provide solutions to the challenges facing our nation and the world,” the Vice-Chancellor told the students.
He urged the new scholars to see postgraduate education not merely as a pathway to obtaining higher qualifications, but also as an opportunity to contribute to knowledge and address challenges confronting society.
The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on higher education and research, saying the technology was rapidly changing how people learn, conduct research, analyse information and disseminate knowledge.
He therefore charged the students to focus on research with measurable impact, particularly studies capable of addressing real-life problems, generating new knowledge and developing practical solutions for national development.
The Provost of the Postgraduate College, Prof. Oluyinka Oluseyi Okubanjo, congratulated the newly admitted students and urged them to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the university.
Okubanjo said the Postgraduate College was undergoing a deliberate process of “renewal, re-engineering and rebirth” aimed at making the postgraduate experience more purposeful and successful.
He advised the students to remain committed to their studies and uphold the academic standards expected of members of the university community.
Also speaking, the Dean of Students, Prof. Junaidu B. Sahalu, stressed the importance of reviewing and updating postgraduate documents to provide students with clearer guidance on the rules and regulations governing their programmes.
Sahalu urged the students to take their research seriously, remain focused and disciplined, and familiarise themselves with the requirements of their respective programmes.
He further called on them to respect the diverse backgrounds of members of the university community, describing the diversity as one of ABU’s strengths.
The Director of the Counselling and Human Development Centre, Prof. Hadiza Ahmed Tukur, introduced the students to the counselling and support services available to them.
Representatives of other university units, including University Health Services, Sports, Security and IAIICT, also briefed the students on the services available within the institution.
The matriculation oath was administered by the University Registrar, Rabiu Samaila.
The ceremony formally inducted the new postgraduate students into the academic community of Ahmadu Bello University as they begin their studies in the 2025/2026 academic session.
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