The Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, has embarked on the 2025/2026 academic session with the formal matriculation of 2,123 newly admitted students. The ceremonial event took place at the Convocation Square on December 3, 2025, where deans introduced the students and the institution administered the matriculation oath under the supervision of the Registrar.
In addition to welcoming freshers, the university used the occasion to highlight its ongoing commitment to security, discipline, and academic integrity — addressing issues that have weighed heavily on higher education institutions in the region.
What the Ceremony Signifies: Growth, Trust, and Institutional Stability
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor, Mu’azu Abubakar Gusau, noted with optimism the steady increase in applications and admissions — a sign of growing trust in the university. He attributed the rising demand to the school’s track record of “excellence, high moral values,” and its firm stance against cultism and other vices.
Data from this matriculation shows a selective process: out of 5,532 applicants (via UTME and Direct Entry), 2,123 were admitted, reflecting a significant but competitive intake.
Notably, the university emphasized compliance with the federal guideline for balance between science-related and humanities courses: science and related programmes received priority.
Beyond numbers, the administration took the chance to remind the fresh cohort of expected standards: strict adherence to university rules, high moral conduct, and rejection of social vices, including examination malpractice, cultism, theft, drug abuse, and sexual harassment. These warnings reflect a broader effort to reinforce discipline and protect the institution’s integrity.
Security Realities: Why FUGUS Is Emphasizing Vigilance
The matriculation came with an added dimension: a public lecture on security, titled “Banditry and its Associated Consequences on Tertiary Education: Strategies for Survival,” delivered by Abubakar Sabo from another Nigerian university.
That focus is not accidental. The region — among others in northwest Nigeria — has in recent years experienced serious security challenges, including banditry, kidnappings, and attacks on school facilities. Institutions like FUGUS have sometimes contended with threats to students and staff. For example, even in previous matriculation exercises, the administration urged students to remain vigilant, report suspicious activity, and avoid risky behaviours.
In a separate (but related) report, earlier in 2025, FUGUS matriculated 2,229 students under similar security-conscious advisories, demonstrating a continuing institutional awareness of the threat environment.
Hence, the current emphasis on security is a reflection of the realities faced by educational institutions in parts of Nigeria — where banditry and insecurity have direct consequences on students’ safety, academic continuity, and campus life.
Institutional Progress: Growth, Accreditation, and Infrastructure
The Vice-Chancellor also used the matriculation event to present a progress report. Under his administration, the university has seen a consolidation of its academic programmes: 28 fully accredited degree programmes, establishment of a School of Postgraduate Studies, a College of Health Sciences, and improvements in staff and student welfare.
Enhancements to physical infrastructure, internal revenue generation, and campus security networks were also noted — underscoring that growth for FUGUS is not just numeric, but institutional.
These achievements, according to the VC, reflect a commitment to ensure that the university remains a stable, credible, and safe environment for learning.
What Fresh Students Should Know — Expectations & Responsibilities
For the newly matriculated students, the message from FUGUS leadership is unambiguous:
- They must take their matriculation oath seriously — as a commitment to academic integrity, discipline, and moral conduct.
- They should comply with the institution’s regulations — including rules around campus behaviour, academic honesty, and social conduct.
- They must remain security-conscious: avoid risky situations, report suspicious activities, and be aware of their surroundings — a matter of personal safety and collective responsibility in the university community. The public lecture underscored that banditry and insecurity pose real threats to tertiary institutions in the region.
The tone set by the university management suggests a zero-tolerance approach to indiscipline, vices, and security negligence — a stance meant to protect both academic standards and human lives.
