The University of Benin (UNIBEN) has admitted a total of 15,077 students for the 2025/2026 academic session, setting a new record as the highest student intake in the institution’s history.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Edoba Omoregie, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), made this known during the university’s matriculation ceremony held in Benin City on Thursday, January 29. He described the occasion as a landmark event, noting that a significant number of the newly admitted students are pioneers of approximately 20 newly introduced academic courses and programmes.

According to Professor Omoregie, the matriculation formally inducted 15,077 students into various Faculties, Schools, Centres and Programmes of the university. He stressed that all admissions were conducted strictly on merit, urging the students to maintain excellence and discipline throughout their academic careers.

The Vice-Chancellor reaffirmed UNIBEN’s standing as a first-generation university and one of the most sought-after institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. He highlighted that, over the past 55 years, the university has consistently upheld its reputation for quality teaching, impactful research and meaningful community engagement. These core values, he noted, are captured in the institution’s motto, “Knowledge for Service.”

Addressing the new students, Professor Omoregie issued a strong warning against involvement in cultism, drug abuse, examination malpractice and other social vices. He emphasized that the university operates a zero-tolerance policy on such misconduct and that any student found culpable would face severe sanctions, including expulsion.

The Vice-Chancellor further advised the students to remain focused on their academic objectives, build positive relationships with lecturers and staff, and fully utilize the institution’s academic, sporting and extracurricular facilities. He encouraged them to embrace positive learning habits while discarding attitudes that could impede their personal and academic development.

Professor Omoregie also expressed gratitude to parents, guardians and sponsors for entrusting the university with the education and welfare of their children and wards. He congratulated the newly admitted students, formally welcomed them into the UNIBEN community, and offered prayers for divine guidance and success throughout their academic journey.

In a related development, education analysts have recently highlighted several alternative courses with relatively low Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) cut-off marks. Despite lower entry requirements, these programmes remain valuable and offer rewarding career prospects for prospective undergraduates.