By Paul Olayemi

PRINCESS Ziregbe Eshemitan, daughter of the Ovie of Oghara Kingdom in Delta State, His Royal Majesty Orefe III, has emerged as the Overall Best Graduating Student in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Calabar, Cross River State.

The feat was announced at the university’s 56th Physicians’ Oath-Taking and Induction Ceremony, held at the Goodwill Akpabio International Conference Centre, Calabar, during which a new cohort of medical and dental graduates was formally received into the Nigerian medical profession.

In recognition of her exemplary academic performance, Princess Ziregbe was presented with the prestigious Provost Prize for the Overall Best Graduating Student in the MBBS programme — the college’s highest individual academic honour. She also received the Dr. Obal Ofu Medal for Best Graduating Student in Internal Medicine, an award she claimed with Distinction, further attesting to the consistency and rigour of her scholarly record.

The dual honours place Princess Ziregbe among the most decorated graduates in the recent history of UNICAL’s College of Medical Sciences, and stand as a compelling testament to years of sustained intellectual discipline and personal resilience through one of Nigeria’s most demanding academic programmes.

The induction ceremony was graced by her father, HRM Orefe III (Uku Oghara Na’Me), the Ovie of Oghara Kingdom, accompanied by Her Royal Majesty, Queen Iyobo Eshemitan. Traditional chiefs, family members, and a large contingent of sons and daughters of Oghara Kingdom also attended, having travelled to Calabar to share in what many described as a historic moment for the kingdom.
Princess Ziregbe’s accomplishment has been widely celebrated as a landmark for Oghara Kingdom and Delta State, with many observers noting its particular significance as an inspiration to young Nigerians — especially women who aspire to careers in medicine and the sciences.

The University of Calabar remains one of Nigeria’s foremost institutions for medical education. Its College of Medical Sciences has over the decades produced highly respected practitioners who have distinguished themselves in clinical service, research, and public health across the country and on the international stage.

Tributes have continued to pour in from across the state. The Public Relations Officer of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogharaefe, Mr. Clinton Onoriode Sagboje, was among those to formally congratulate the princess. In an official statement, Sagboje said: “Congratulations to our dear Princess Ziregbe for making Oghara Kingdom and Delta State proud.” He added that her accomplishment was a source of pride not only for her royal family but for all the people of Delta State, and expressed hope that the feat would serve as a spur to students across the state’s tertiary institutions to pursue academic excellence with equal determination.

As felicitations continue to flow in from across Delta State and beyond, Princess Ziregbe Eshemitan’s name is now firmly etched in the records of the University of Calabar — a fitting reward for a young woman who has demonstrated with quiet conviction that royalty and scholarly excellence are far from mutually exclusive.