The Pan African University, Life and Earth Sciences Institute (including Health and Agriculture), hosted at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, held its 12th Matriculation Ceremony on 6th August 2026. This landmark event formally enrolled eighty-one (81) students into eight (8) Master's degree programmes across the Institute. Prior to this ceremony, a total of eleven (11) cohorts had been matriculated, comprising eight hundred and ninety-eight (898) students, underscoring the Institute's growing contribution to Africa's higher education landscape over the years.

The ceremony commenced with the entry of the academic procession, proceeding in the following order: Secretary to the Institute, Programme Coordinators, Deputy Director of PAULESI, Deans of Faculties, the Director of PAULESI, the University of Ibadan Registrar, the University of Ibadan Bursar, and the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Development), University of Ibadan. The solemnity of the procession set the tone for the occasion.

In her welcome remarks, the Vice Rector of PAULESI, Professor Bolanle Akeredolu-Ale, speaking on behalf of the PAU Governing Council and the Rector, Professor Jean Koulidiati, extended a warm welcome to dignitaries, faculty, staff, guests, and especially the incoming Master's scholars. She congratulated the matriculants on their successful selection from a highly competitive pool of applicants from across the continent, noting that their admission was a testament to their academic excellence, research potential, and dedication to scientific advancement.

Professor Akeredolu-Ale underscored PAULESI's strategic role as a flagship initiative of the African Union, aligned with continental frameworks including Agenda 2063, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), and the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA). She charged the new Master's candidates to produce actionable research that addresses pressing scientific and socioeconomic challenges confronting the continent, and encouraged them to embrace the intellectual rigour of postgraduate study, engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, leverage available institutional resources, and remain steadfast in their commitment to societal impact. Concluding her remarks, the Vice Rector reaffirmed the University's unwavering support for their scholarly journey and wished them every success in their Master's programmes.

Thereafter, representing the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership), Professor Akintola, delivered the Matriculation Address. She emphasised that the matriculation ceremony is not merely a ritual but a full rite of passage—a gateway through which students transition from the realm of ambition into the world of academic rigour and scholarly commitment. She highlighted that by taking the matriculation oath and signing the register, each matriculant ceases to be an applicant and becomes a full-fledged member of the University of Ibadan academic community, entitled to all its rights, privileges, and associated noble responsibilities.

Professor Akintola extended a special welcome to the international students, noting that their presence, having travelled from all regions of Africa, embodied the vision of the continent's forebears for a reunited Africa, where the best minds collaborate across borders to solve its most pressing challenges. She urged the students to appreciate the unique context of their admission, stating that PAULESI is not a mere postgraduate institution but a flagship continental initiative of the African Union Commission, founded to revitalise higher education in Africa, drive innovation, and build a pool of high-level human resources in science, technology, and innovation. She reminded them that they are instruments of the African Union's Agenda 2063, and as such, they bear a responsibility not only to their academics but also to the ideals of Pan-Africanism, solidarity, and innovation. She further expressed the University of Ibadan's pride in hosting this visionary project and its continued commitment to supporting PAULESI as a major instrument for the Second Decade of Education in Africa.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor offered practical counsel to the students, advising them to be hardworking, committed, determined, disciplined, and to exhibit a high level of integrity: qualities instrumental to their success. She challenged them to attend lectures diligently, maximise available resources, and engage actively with their supervisors, who are world-class experts. She assured them that the University, on its part, would provide the necessary tools, laboratories, and modern facilities for both basic and applied research. She concluded with a message of hope and responsibility, declaring that the students are the next generation of leaders, scientists, and innovators, destined to contribute to the development of the African continent and make meaningful impacts globally. She expressed confidence that by the end of their studies, they would have acquired the skills to solve national and continental challenges, and that their success would serve as a blueprint for a truly sustainable and prosperous future for Africa.

Following the address, the matriculation oath was administered by the University of Ibadan Registrar, Mr. G. O. Saliu, after which the students were guided on the signing of the Matriculation Register. The ceremony was formally brought to a close with a declaration by the Vice Chancellor’s representative, the singing of the anthems, and the recessional exit of the academic procession. The 12th Matriculation Ceremony thus concluded as a memorable and inspiring event, marking the beginning of a transformative academic journey for the newest cohort of PAULESI scholars.