…admits 2,390 Students

The Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE) has matriculated 2,390 new students, warning them that freedom on campus must be balanced with discipline, integrity, and personal responsibility.

The students were matriculated on Saturday for the 2025/2026 academic session, with the university reiterating its zero-tolerance stance on misconduct.

Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ezekiel Agbalagba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Chiedu Uwabor, said the fresh students earned their places through “a rigorous and merit-based process,” describing their admission as “the beginning of a transformative academic journey.”

The Vice-Chancellor urged the students to be guided by the institution’s motto, “Excellence and Relevance,” while navigating university life.

“FUPRE maintains a zero-tolerance policy for cultism, drug abuse, examination malpractice, cybercrime, and all forms of misconduct,” he warned, stressing that such acts could jeopardise students’ academic future.

He noted that the ceremony formally inducted the students into “a scholarly community committed to knowledge, integrity, and purposeful excellence,” positioning them to innovate, lead and contribute meaningfully to society.

Highlighting the institution’s niche, the Vice-Chancellor said FUPRE remained Nigeria’s first and only specialised Petroleum University, the first in Africa and the sixth globally, established to provide world-class education, research, and practical training for the petroleum, energy, and allied sectors.

“As a purpose-built institution, FUPRE is committed to producing leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers who can address real industry and societal challenges,” he said.

He cited the university’s growing profile, referencing the first-place victory of FUPRE’s Chemical Engineering Hackathon team, The Alchemists, at the 2025 Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers National Student Convention, the ranking of three FUPRE scholars among the top two per cent scientists worldwide in the Stanford University–Elsevier Global Ranking, as well as the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists Golden Jubilee Award received by the institution.

According to him, the matriculating students comprised 1,980 males and 410 females admitted into the Colleges of Science, Engineering and Technology, Maritime and Offshore Studies, Computing, and Petroleum Administration and Management.

He expressed delight at the admission of pioneer students into new programmes such as Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Procurement Management, Petroleum Information Management, and Entrepreneurship, as well as first intakes into Petroleum Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Microbiology.

Senior University officials, including principal officers, deans, directors, and heads of departments, were in attendance.