An elderly woman, Mrs Kate Bosede Akomolafe, became the centre of attention at the University of Ibadan’s Distance Learning Centre (DLC) matriculation ceremony on Friday, taking the admission oath alongside over 5,000 new students for the 2024/2025 academic year. She is currently 69 years old.
The university’s Registrar, Mr Ganiyu O. Saliu, administered the oath during the event, which welcomed fresh students into 16 different programmes offered by the DLC.
Photos from the ceremony quickly spread across social media on Saturday, earning admiration for Mrs Akomolafe’s inspiring pursuit of higher education at her age.
A post on the university’s official Facebook page, #UniIbadan, revealed that Mrs Akomolafe is a retired Data Processing Officer who previously worked with R.T. Briscoe Motor Company.
“Dressed in her matriculation gown and cap, Mrs Akomolafe — a retired Data Processing Officer from R.T. Briscoe Motor Company — smiled brightly as cameras captured her joining the newest members of Nigeria’s premier university.
“Currently a pig farmer and former flour distributor, she has enrolled to study Social Work, a course she says will assist her in managing her non-governmental organisation.
“Born on December 22, 1956, Mrs Akomolafe initially earned her West African School Certificate in 1976 from Government Secondary School, Creek Road, Port Harcourt.
“Nearly fifty years later, she retook the WASSCE and NECO exams in 2023 to secure the credits necessary to follow her lifelong ambition of obtaining a degree,” the post stated.
During his address to the new students, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Peter O. Olapegba, who stood in for the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, urged the matriculants to strive for excellence through deliberate effort.
In a speech titled “Genuine Success is Achieved Through Deliberate Choices,” Professor Olapegba advised students to be conscious of their relationships and actions, highlighting that every interaction and lecture shapes their future.
He reminded them that they alone are “responsible for the outcomes they will achieve at UI, a vibrant community where academic pursuits are balanced with social involvement.”
The DVC also warned students against misconduct, stressing the university’s zero tolerance for behaviours that could damage its reputation.
He added that true success would be measured not just by academic results but also by “the depth of their insight, the resilience they show, and the positive impact they ultimately make on society.”
