As part of efforts to help students focus and do better in school, Margaret Lawrence University has banned the use of smartphones on its campus.
According to Vanguard, the institution said that any student discovered using a smartphone for the first time could be suspended for two weeks, with harsher punishments for repeat offenders.
Prof. Ernest Izevbigie, the university’s vice chancellor, said this today in Abuja during the university’s third matriculation ceremony for the 2025/2026 academic session. At this occasion, 272 students were officially accepted into different programs.
The matriculation ceremony featured a mix of in-person and online events. The physical event took place at the university’s main campus in Abuja, while students at the Delta campus took part online.
Prof. Izevbigie told reporters after the event that the choice to limit smartphones was made to get rid of distractions that could make it hard for pupils to concentrate on their studies.
He said that students can only use basic cell phones to make calls and send text messages.
“Students realize that using smartphones might be a distraction. Their parents know that too. He said, “In fact, it’s one of our selling points.”
“They can have regular phones for calls and texts, but it’s not a good idea to let them browse sites they don’t need to while they’re in school.” We want them to pay attention to their schoolwork.
Mr. Paul Odili, the university’s Founder and Pro-Chancellor, told the new students to stay disciplined and focused on their studies.
He told them that their main goal at the university is to learn, improve their ability to think critically, and establish a strong character that will help them become leaders and succeed in their careers.
Odili highlighted that being disciplined and dedicated to their studies will help kids do well in school and make a positive difference in the world.
Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, who used to be the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), also spoke. He praised the institution for building a teaching hospital within three years of its opening, calling it an amazing achievement.
He said that many second-generation universities in Nigeria required about twenty years to reach similar goals.
Rasheed said that the development shows how dedicated the university is to improving medical education, research, and healthcare training.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Ido-Abasi Ibanga, one of the new students, said he wants to study medicine and surgery so he can help those who are sick and fight the rising problem of quackery in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Ibanga mentioned that he wanted to be a doctor from a young age because he cared about sick people and wanted to make a difference in the medical profession.
“I’ve always wanted to help people who need medical care.” “These days, there are a lot of fake doctors out there, and I want to make a difference by helping people who really need professional medical care,” he stated.
He said that he is interested in medicine, especially surgery, because it is so complicated and precise to comprehend and cure the human body.
I find medicine, especially surgery, very interesting. He went on to say, “I see it as a beautiful work of art where you can study the human body and learn how everything works together.”
Ibanga said that many Nigerian doctors go for jobs abroad because of problems in the country’s healthcare system, but his main purpose is to help people no matter where they are.
“I want to be a doctor all over the world, but I don’t mind working anywhere because people all over the world need help.” He added, “What matters most to me is the satisfaction that comes from helping someone with medical needs.”
He did, however, ask the government to make the lives and pay of doctors better, saying that the sacrifices they make to become doctors deserve more appreciation.
Ibanga said he chose Margaret Lawrence University because it has a contemporary teaching hospital and medical training facilities. He thinks they will provide him the hands-on experience he needs to do well in his field.
“Margaret Lawrence University has a huge hospital with tools that most hospitals in Nigeria don’t have. He remarked, “Studying here lets me learn better and practice with modern tools under the watchful eye of professionals.”
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