The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has matriculated 6,356 students for the 2025/2026 academic session, the highest student intake recorded by the institution in nearly four decades of its establishment.

Speaking at the event on Thursday in Abeokuta, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, described the development as a major milestone in FUNAAB’s 38-year history.

Prof. Kehinde reaffirmed the University’s zero tolerance for misconduct and emphasised that Student Union engagement on campus was guided strictly by dialogue and responsible leadership.

He commended the growing confidence of parents and prospective students in the university, while urging new entrants to uphold discipline, decent dress, and strict adherence to the Institution’s rules. “FUNAAB remains a training ground for future leaders,” he said.

He assured the students that their rights would be protected.

Delivering this year’s commencement lecture, tagged ” Future Leaders of Character in Agriculture: Building Capacity Today for National and Global Impact Tomorrow,” Prof. Subuola Fasoyiro of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Obafemi Awolowo, Ibadan, challenged the students to cultivate character, competence, and capacity, which she said are the prerequisites of effective leadership.

She emphasised that vision, strategic thinking, courage, emotional intelligence, integrity, teamwork, and resilience are qualities required to shape the future.

She also identified the 6Cs of leadership, which were clarity, commitment, capacity, character, consistency, and contribution, as essential for national development.

She noted that the future is predictable, adding that students must position themselves through discipline and continuous learning.
“When you take care of your character, it will help you take care of your reputation,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, the ceremony marked a significant moment for FUNAAB as it continues to expand access to quality agricultural, entrepreneurial, scientific, and technological education while nurturing the future generation of national and global leaders.

In other news, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the reintroduction of Management Degree Programmes at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), marking a major academic breakthrough for the institution after several years of suspension.

The approval follows a successful resource assessment visit by the NUC to the university, which verified the institution’s readiness to resume the programmes.

Acting Head of the Directorate of Public Relations of the Institution,Mr. Olasunkanmi Olajide disclosed that the commission approved four undergraduate programmes — B.Sc. Accounting, B.Sc. Banking and Finance, B.Sc. Business Administration, and B.Sc. Economics — as well as a newly introduced postgraduate programme in M.Sc. Agroecology.

Olajide described the development as “a significant milestone in the university’s continuous commitment to academic excellence and institutional growth,” noting that the approval would expand the scope of FUNAAB’s academic offerings and enhance its contribution to national development.