Today, a new chapter began in the lives of many as the University of Jos matriculated 8,828 new students into its roll, including 75 international students from 20 African countries. This development again underscores the University’s continued rise as an institution to reckon with.
The ceremony, which held at the Faculty of Social Sciences Auditorium featured the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tanko Ishaya, who welcomed the fresh students and charged them to uphold the University’s core values of discipline, dedication, and academic excellence.
Addressing the students, parents, and invited guests, Professor Tanko described the ceremony as a significant milestone in the academic journey of the new intakes, noting that their admission placed them among a privileged few selected from thousands of applicants nationwide. He explained that admission into the University of Jos remained highly competitive, with intense pressure on the selection process due to consistently high demand for placement.
The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that the matriculation exercise, which would ordinarily have taken place earlier, was delayed due to challenges encountered on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which affected the timely completion of registration by some candidates. He however, confirmed that as registration draws to a close, not fewer than 8,000 students are expected to be successfully registered across the University’s various degree programmes.
He urged the students to justify the confidence reposed in them by being diligent, disciplined, and focused in their studies, reminding them that a minimum of 75 percent lecture attendance was required for eligibility to sit for examinations. He further emphasized the importance of continuous assessment, which accounts for between 30 and 40 percent of students’ total examination scores.
Highlighting key facilities available to support teaching and learning, the Vice-Chancellor spoke extensively on the University’s growing investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Entrepreneurship development, sports, library services, transportation, accommodation, healthcare, and security. He encouraged students to take full advantage of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to acquire practical skills that would enable them to become self-reliant and employers of labour after graduation.
The Vice-Chancellor also warned against involvement in cultism, antisocial activities, and unregistered religious or social groups, stressing that such actions attract severe sanctions, including expulsion. He equally cautioned students on responsible use of social media, noting that no student was permitted to publish information concerning the University without appropriate authorization.
The ceremony attracted goodwill messages from distinguished guests, including the representative of the Ambassador of The Gambia to Nigeria, Hajia Maimuna Simghateh; the representative of the Ambassador of Burundi to Nigeria, Engineer Cimpaye Pancrace; and the representative of the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dr. Mohammed Babaji. The goodwill speakers congratulated the University on the successful matriculation exercise and wished the institution continued progress and good fortune in the pursuit of its academic mission.