UBIDS matriculates 2,301 students

February 25, 2026

2 minutes read

• The students taking the matriculation oath

The University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) has matriculated 2,301 regular students for the 2025/2026 academic year, with female enrolment showing encouraging gains at the entry level but declining significantly at postgraduate stages.

At the university’s sixth matriculation ceremony held at its new auditorium at the Bamahu campus in Wa, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Emmanuel Kanchebe Derbile, described the occasion as historic.

He noted that the cohort was the first to be admitted under the institution’s new name following its rebranding by an Act of Parliament in December 2025.

Of the 2,301 students admitted, 868 are pursuing Diploma programmes, 1,030 are enrolled in Degree programmes, 205 are undertaking Master’s studies, 95 are PhD candidates, and 103 are in the Post-First Degree Law (L200) programme.

At the Diploma level, female students outnumbered their male counterparts. Of the 868 Diploma students, 458 are females (52.76 per cent), while 410 are males (47.24 per cent). The Vice-Chancellor described this as an encouraging sign of growing female participation in tertiary education at the entry point.

However, the balance shifts at the Degree level. Of the 1,030 undergraduate students, 448 are females (43.49 per cent), while 582 are males (56.51 per cent).

The disparity becomes more pronounced at postgraduate level. Among the 205 Master’s students, only 48 are females (23.41 per cent), compared to 157 males (76.59 per cent).

At doctoral level, the gap widens significantly. Out of 95 PhD candidates, just nine are females (9.47 per cent), while 86 are males (90.53 per cent).

Similarly, in the Post-First Degree Law (L200) programme, female representation remains low. Of the 103 students admitted, nine are females (8.74 per cent) and 94 are males (91.26 per cent).

Professor Derbile acknowledged the worrying decline in female participation beyond the undergraduate level and assured the gathering that the university was committed to reversing the trend. He called on male students to act as allies in promoting an equitable and respectful academic environment and assured female students of management’s continued support for their academic progression.

Beyond the enrolment figures, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted infrastructure development as a pressing priority in response to the growing student population. He disclosed that nearly 90 per cent of students currently live off campus, placing considerable pressure on accommodation and teaching facilities.

“To address the deficit, the university has secured financial clearance to complete stalled GETFund projects,” he said. Management is also pursuing a Public-Private Partnership under a Built–Jointly Operate and Transfer (PPP–BJOT) model.

In January 2026, the university cut the sod for a 1,000-capacity multipurpose hostel and lecture theatre complex valued at $6.6 million. The project includes a three-storey hostel block with 47 en-suite rooms and a two-storey lecture complex comprising eight lecture halls, 22 offices, four common rooms, 78 lavatories and a 200-capacity car park.

FROM NAZIRU ALHASSAN, WA

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