Kunle Adelabu
-As VC charges new students to be future ready
The Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Prof. Olumuyiwa Odusanya, has stated his institution has the capacity to accommodate the growing number of students that are being admitted into the university.
The university community which started about three years ago now has over 12, 600 students, with the VC exuding confidence that the institution is prepared for the expansion.
Prof. Odusanya revealed this while officially welcoming 3,272 new undergraduates for the institution’s 2025/2026 matriculation ceremony on Monday. He charged them to be proactive, shape their own futures and create the same for others.
The Vice Chancellor described matriculation as a university prerequisite, “where students are formally admitted to join the academic community” and where expectations for behavior and academic journey are set. He marked the occasion as a milestone for the institution, which began with no students three years ago and now has a total population exceeding 12,600.
“It’s a day of joy; day of good news that we can shape this large number of future Nigerian leaders to deliver and to contribute to the nation.”
Relatedly, he confirmed the university’s capacity to accommodate the growing student body.
The LASUSTECH’s vice chancellor challenged the new undergraduates to prepare for an uncertain future by actively creating the one they desire, citing President John F. Kennedy’s moonshot ambition as a historic example of such future-building.
He emphasised that the digital age presents vast opportunities for innovation, referencing how access to technology in Nigeria has expanded beyond past limitations dramatically. The address included a firm warning against negative vices such as cultism, indecent dressing, absenteeism, illicit drug use, and wrong associations, stating these would not create a positive future.
Students were instructed to commit fully to their academic work, be punctual, and take practical sessions seriously. They were also advised to build community, maintain contact with parents, and be traceable.
Looking beyond degree certification, the Vice-Chancellor stressed the importance of developing market-ready skills, competencies, and innovative attitudes. He called on students to conceive solutions to national problems, suggesting possibilities like manufacturing multipurpose drones or developing new algorithms.
Using the discovery of insulin as an inspiration, he asserted that if students can imagine an innovation, they can create it. He encouraged total commitment to their studies, noting that their time at the university will conclude in just four or five years.
“Today indeed is a day of good news. The matriculation ceremony marks your formal admission and commencement of your undergraduate training.
“The way to take uncertainty out of the future is to create the future you genuinely want. I urge you, therefore, to be future ready undergraduates. I urge you to think of many things and create in this digital age, because many others created the future we now live in at present.”
The address outlined three core pillars for student success: understanding consequences, total commitment to academic work, and looking beyond the degree itself. “A degree may just be a piece of paper, but the skills, the competencies, the knowledge that you should bring to it will define what you get out of that degree,” he explained.
Encouraging practical innovation, the Vice Chancellor told the students: “If you can imagine it, you can create it.” He suggested they could develop solutions like multipurpose drones or new algorithms, and even contribute to critical medical research.
While taking the matriculation oath, the students pledged not to involve in any illegal activity nor join any unregistered association.
