PROTOCOL

On behalf of the Chairman of the Governing Council and Council members, the Senate of the University, and the Management, I welcome all of you fresh students to this great institution, the Plateau State university, Bokkos.

Today marks the matriculation exercise for the 2025/2026 academic session. Many   of you have looked forward to this day, and I congratulate you for making it. This ceremony formally and legally confers on you the studentship of our university. It grants you access to the rights and privileges, as well as responsibility of studentship. As such, it is marked by and oath-taking exercise. This oath you are taking is not a mere exercise. You have to understand it, and be committed to it. As a university, we take the words seriously, and we will hold you accountable.

It marks only the beginning of your relationship with us. It means that we have a duty to train and educate you, but you also have the responsibility to study, learn, socialise, engage, and graduate with a degree of the university at the end of your stay here. We will do our part, and we call on you to do your part as well, so that at the end we will all celebrate your stay here.

You have been raised by your parents and guardians who have expected and worked hard for you to succeed in life. Coming to the university is among the major dreams of parents, as well as those of you being matriculated today. I congratulate you for securing a place in this university to actualise your dream. I want to inform you that many others who sought admission here could not find a place.  You should therefore count your securing admission here as a privilege, and to make the best of the opportunity.

PLASU had a total number of 13,234 JAMB applicants for the 2025/26 school year. We were able to give admission to 4,715 of these applicants, across our 11 faculties. Our successful applicants come from 33 out of Nigeria’s 36 states, and from 234 local governments in Nigeria. This distribution underscores our deliberate effort to make PLASU a diverse university with a national outlook. Our gender distribution is also excellent, with the male gender accounting for 2352 candidates, while the female gender accounts for 2363. This shows the superiority of the female gender in the admission exercise, with a difference of 11 places.

This could well have been 50/50, but there is a marginal win for the female gender. I suspect this will continue to be the case, and we celebrate this feat. We also call on the male child to sit up and match this emerging disparity. I also congratulate your parents, guardians and families who have stood by you and looked forward to this day. Please give them the privilege to further celebrate you at the point of your graduation by focusing on your studies and succeeding.

A university is a citadel of learning. Here, we build your potentials and raise you to pursue your ambition in character and in learning. We encourage you to read your books and prioritise all facets of academic excellence. However, and more importantly, we are interested in your character, your integrity, and all the characteristics of leadership that are built in you. We train you to be leaders in all walks of life. Therefore, take advantage of the opportunity.

Plateau State University is a fast-growing institution. In the last three years, we have floated five new faculties of Agriculture, Education, Environmental Sciences, Health Science and Law. In the current year, we have opened faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences, and faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Today, we are matriculating some of you as pioneer students in these two new faculties. In the 2026/27 session, we envisage the faculties of Communication and Computing, as well as additional academic programmes in Allied Health Sciences, Education, and Quantity Survey. As you come into this busy academic environment, we invite you to contribute to its growth, stability and reputation.

Even though I know you have just gone through the orientation exercise, I wish to draw your attention to some of the following areas: Pay attention to attendance of lectures and ensure that you attend all lasses punctually, write all tests and CAs, participate in university and faculty seminars, tutorials and practicals, etc.

Take note that with less than 75% class attendance, you will not be eligible to write examinations at the end of each semester.

Avoid every manner of examination misconduct and malpractice because the punishment is severe.

Stay away from drugs and alcoholic beverage as they will destroy you.

Identify with places of worship and faith-related activities for your spiritual wellbeing.

The university maintains zero tolerance for cultism and cult-related activities.

Engaging in any of these is the fastest way to be expelled from the university.

The university provides channels of communication for you to engage the management through the Directorate of Student Affairs. Take advantage of this opportunity.

Stay away from any forms of violent protest throughout your stay in the university.

This is a young campus. We are growing the environment by planting trees and trimming the grasses. Please help keep the campus clean.

Protest and nurture all the plants. Do not throw waste indiscriminately but dispose them neatly at designated points.

There should be no open defecation. Keep everywhere clean.

The university has a dress code and cannot be a place where students are allowed to dress irresponsibly. Adhere to this code.

I implore you to obtain the student handbook and to read it carefully.

As students, you are free to participate in all sporting activities and other forms of recreation, and the social and political life of the university. Those of you with talents in any sports have the opportunity to develop those talents and to represent the university in sporting activities. Come forward with your talents and you will enjoy our full support.

Also participate in the activities of the SUG, and demand good leadership and accountability from the leaders. I can only hope that the female students realise their numbers in the university and also know its political value.

Let me invite the teeming staff of the university to welcome these fresh students and to help them settle down into this wonderful community. Assist them in any way you may. In whatever capacity these students encounter you, let the memory be pleasant, such that they feel supported to be able to give back to PLASU when finally, they leave here.

Once again, welcome to Plateau State University and I wish you a happy and rewarding stay. Congratulations.