Get Guardian on Google…Varsity has capacity to survive without subvention – VC
…Says 7,000 students benefited from NELFUND
The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has disclosed that about 7,000 of its students have benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), with many more currently applying to access the scheme.
Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, revealed the disclosure during a press briefing on the university’s 37th Convocation Ceremony, where she also declared that FUTA has the inherent capacity to survive if the Federal Government stopped funding the institution.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the NELFUND initiative of President Bola Tinubu has helped students categorised as underprivileged to access funds to pursue their preferred courses, particularly in government-owned institutions.
Oladiji, however, revealed that 3,039 students will receive first degrees, while 1,173 will be awarded postgraduate degrees during the convocation ceremony.
Among the graduands, according to her, 256 earned First Class honours, 1,717 obtained Second Class Upper Division, 964 received Second Class Lower Division, and 102 graduated with Third Class honours.
Akintola Daniel Victor from the Department of Computer Science emerged as the best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.94.
Meanwhile, Oladiji emphasised that universities that are not funded by the government are surviving, which demonstrates that every university has the capacity to operate without government subvention.
She expressed confidence that FUTA can also survive if government funding stops, adding that the quality of researchers and research outputs at the university will strengthen its funding base.
She also offered a reflective perspective on the Japa syndrome, arguing that when people trained in Nigerian educational institutions leave and secure gainful employment abroad, it should prompt reflection on the global acceptability of the country’s educational system.
“”The quality of researchers we have and the research outputs being produced at FUTA will also strengthen our funding base and promote Nigerian pride. At that point, we will have to depend on what we can generate internally.
“On whether universities would survive if the Federal Government stopped funding them, the answer is yes. We have universities that are not funded by the government and are surviving. This means that every university has the inherent capacity to survive without government funding.
“When we discuss the Japa syndrome, one thing that comes to my mind is the argument that the education sector is not performing well. If people trained in our educational institutions leave the country and secure gainful employment abroad, should that not also make us reflect on the global acceptability of our educational system?” Oladiji stated.
The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that two retired academics, Professor Thomas Inomisan Ofuya and Professor Felix Akinsola Akinyosoye, will be conferred with the title of Professor Emeritus in recognition of their outstanding contributions to teaching, research, scholarship, and institutional development.
She emphasised academic developments during the 2025/2026 session, including the introduction of new undergraduate programmes in Landscape Architecture and Design, Interior Architecture and Design, Industrial and Technology Education, Information and Communication Engineering, Science Laboratory Technology, and Economics and Strategic Analytics.
In research and innovation, Prof. Oladiji stated that FUTA secured international research grants worth £136,511 and US$115,000, alongside 44 TETFund Institution-Based Research grants valued at ₦122.53 million.
“The university secured two patents for inventions in renewable energy and thermal analysis technology. Biomedical Engineering students developed a prosthetic solution that enabled an amputee who had lost a leg over 13 years earlier to walk again.”
“The university received an N4 billion intervention fund from TETFund for engineering and technology development, a N1 billion special intervention fund for the nursing building, and an N1 billion agricultural grant. A cassava-to-bioethanol production facility was established in partnership with PICTT and NASENI, with prospects for job creation and alternative energy production.
“As we celebrate the achievements of our graduates and reflect on the University’s progress, we remain mindful of the work ahead. Our commitment is to build an institution that inspires confidence, produces capable graduates, advances useful knowledge and contributes meaningfully to Nigeria’s technological and economic development.”
