Says digital economy, renewable energy key to job creation
Urges graduates to explore opportunities in agriculture

President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that his administration is committed to making education play the pivotal role as the driving hub for national growth, prosperity, and development; hence, the need to make education more robust, responsive, and globally competitive.

According to Tinubu, a blueprint that will ensure rapid revitalisation of university education in the country, as well as address challenges in the Nigerian University System, has been developed.

The President stated this during the 36th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), where 240 of the 2,747 graduates bagged first-class honours degrees.

While urging stakeholders within the education sector not to rely absolutely on government for funding, Tinubu, who is the visitor to the institution, called for interconnection between tertiary institutions and industry in order for research outputs to be more impactful.

While commending FUTA for its contributions to the development of indigenous technology and the human capital needed to drive the nation’s industrial and digital transformation agenda, the President, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, urged the graduands to key into opportunities abounding in the agricultural sector for job creation.

He said, “We are therefore committed to policies that strengthen education, promote research funding, and foster collaborations between universities and industries. We are also pursuing the digital economy agenda, renewable energy initiatives, and infrastructure development, all of which open new opportunities for your graduates to contribute meaningfully to national growth and development.”

The Vice-Chancellor of FUTA, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, who reeled out the strides achieved by the university, stated that due to the harmonious industrial environment of the institution and the encouragement by the agencies of the federal government, researchers in the university have continued to make an impact nationally and globally.

She said, “After scaling the hurdle of resource verification, approval had been obtained from NUC for commencement of the following programmes: B.N. Sc. Nursing Sciences, B.Tech. Financial Technology, B.Tech. Procurement Management, and B.Tech. Environmental Management.

“In consonance with the current trend, plans are afoot to establish a School of Architecture. The proposed school, when approved, would host the following undergraduate programmes: B.Tech. Architecture, B.Tech. Architectural Technology, B.Tech. Furniture Design, B.Tech. Interior Architecture Design, B.Tech. Landscape Architecture, and B.Tech. Naval Architecture.”

On his part, the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by the Director-General of Performance and Project Monitoring Implementation Unit (PPIMU), Razaq Obe, stated that “FUTA is not just an institution; it is indeed an institution of institutions. Since its inception in 1981, this citadel of learning has consistently lived up to its motto, ‘Technology for Self-Reliance’.

“For over a decade, FUTA has been ranked the best university of technology in Nigeria and consistently sits among the top ten universities overall. This is not a fluke; it is a testament to a culture of excellence and a spirit of resilience.

“Tens of thousands of your alumni are making waves globally. They are leading tech startups in Silicon Valley, engineering groundbreaking infrastructure across Africa, pioneering agricultural innovations that feed our nation, and holding key research positions in the world’s most renowned institutions.”