THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE

(Office of the Vice Chancellor)

ADDRESS BY THE VICE CHANCELLOR OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY

OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE (FUTA), PROFESSOR JOSEPH ADEOLA
FUWAPE, FNAS, FFFPS, AT THE THIRD FUTA ALUMNIIN-DIASPORA
REUNION AT THE SHERATON CAVALIER CALGARY HOTEL, 2620 32ND
AVENUE NE, CALGARY, AB T1Y ON SATURDAY, 5TH AUGUST, 2017

Distinguished Alumni of our Great Institution,

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am very much delighted to address this gathering of eminent alumni of the

Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), off-shore our dear country,
Nigeria. I am very glad to see all of you, great men and women who are our pride as
products of our University converging here to identify with the institution that has
impacted your life positively to be total men and women of significance that you are.
A re-union of this nature provides great opportunity to meet and greet, exchange
pleasantries, share the joy of the moment and fond memories of the good old school
days, as well as experiences of life after your time in the University. It is therefore my
hope that this event will achieve these goals. I am also optimistic that it will provide
ample opportunities for all of us to reflect on Score Card of your alma mater and
chart a course for everyone of you to contribute your quota to the narratives on how
to take FUTA to the next level as a way of giving back to your alma mater,
enormous investments in terms of knowledge and skill.

First and foremost, let me express my appreciation to all of you that are in the
forefront of reaching out to your colleagues in various parts of the world to be here
today and be part of this remarkable event. Your commitment has proven the

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sustainability of the enviable virtues embedded in you by FUTA. It is also a proof of
your sensitivity and interest in the development and advancement of our University.
Special appreciation goes to all those who worked either conspicuously or behind the
scene to make this weekend's event a reality. You are our pride. Thank you for
keeping the flag flying.

Judging by what I have heard about you and seen so far, this outing has been
very interesting and rewarding. I believe that at least, keeping this pace, it would be
possible for me to rely on your continuous support throughout my tenure as the Vice
Chancellor and beyond. I, therefore, implore all of you to make maximum use of this
forum to contribute to the realization of our goals as a family moving towards a
common destination. In this wise, geographical location should not be an excuse for
not championing the cause of FUTA as ambassadors in diaspora in your own right.

Distinguished Alumni, it is my pleasure to inform you that your alma mater is

blazing the trail in infrastructural development and in all areas of its operations in
teaching, research and community services. Going by her performances at both
national and international levels, FUTA remains a reference point in the comity of
Universities in Nigeria as the best University of Technology in Nigeria. When the
2016 edition of World Cities Report was to be launched in Africa, Nigeria was
selected as the country for the event. In spite of several options available within
Nigeria, FUTA was chosen as the venue for the launch. It was a very remarkable
event; being the first time the Report would be launched in Africa.

I am very delighted to inform you that your alma mater has become a
University of choice to many applicants. Each year, we are over-subscribed and
therefore had opportunity to select the best for admission into our academic
programmes. During the last admission exercise, over 18,000 of the candidates who
applied for admission into FUTA scored 180 and above in JAMB examination. Since
180 was the minimum acceptable JAMB score, they all came for the University
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screening. Due to limited space, we could only admit a little over 5,000. For those of
you who graduated from FUTA some 1980s and 1990s, you'll remember that the total
population of students then was less than 5,000. Now our students' population is over
23,000 (made up of 17,000+ undergraduates and 6,000 postgraduates). Accordingly,
we have made some improvement in infrastructural development to cope with the
increase in population. More lecture theatres and lecture rooms have been built and
are already in use, while construction work on new undergraduate students' hostel is
ongoing. A new postgraduate hall of residence has been built and it is already in use.
We have new road networks (completed and ongoing). I must confess that the
existing infrastructural facilities in the University are still far cry from what we
require.

In recent times, we have expanded our academic programmes by introducing

new ones in accordance with our original academic brief. For instance, a new School
of Health and Health Technology is now in place with three Departments already
approved by the National Universities Commission. The Departments are Department
of Biomedical Technology, Department of Human Anatomy and Department of
Physiology. Meanwhile, the University Senate has approved the following additional
Departments in the University:
Department of Production and Industrial Engineering
Department of Information Technology
Department of Cybersecurity
Department of Wood Products and Bioresource Technology
These new programmes are awaiting the approval of the National Universities
Commission. It should also be noted that we are working towards having a full-
fledged School of Information and Communication Technology as a way of
promoting an area where we have comparative advantage.

Of recent, your University completed and commissioned a unique building

technically described as Zero-Energy building constructed by the University's Centre
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for Renewable Energy Technology (CRET). The Building is the first structure
constructed by the Energy Centre. It was developed to showcase practical uses of
renewable energy in Nigeria. For the building, no external energy is required to
provide its electrical power. In fact, its energy farm generates more energy than what
the building requires. Arrangement is being made to channel the excess power to
other nearby buildings on campus. It's interesting to note that the construction work
was executed via direct labour, making use of both FUTA staff and students. The
installation of some foreign components was however done by the suppliers. In a
country where electricity supply is still a major challenge, FUTA as a University of
Technology has shown the way forward.

Some of you must have had the news that your alma mater recently launched a
satellite into orbit. Specifically on Saturday, 3rd June, 2017 at 10:07 p.m. (Nigerian
Time) in the United States of America, FUTA in conjunction with six other nations
launched the SpaceX Falcon9 Rocket Birds 1 satellite into orbit. The project named
Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite Project with the acronym Birds Project
involved Japan, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Thailand and Taiwan. This
was the first of its kind in the history of any University in Nigeria. The Nigerian
CubeSat, code name NigeriaEdusat-1, is a micro-satellite designed, built and owned
by the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in collaboration with
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Abuja, Nigeria and
Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan. With our unique experience in space
research, your alma mater became the first University in Nigeria to launch satellite
into the orbit. The achievement is part of the concerted efforts of the University to
fulfill its mandate as a Center of Excellence in teaching, research and proffering
solutions to societal challenges. This giant step will avail our researchers the
opportunity to obtain data and information transmitted from the satellite and explore
the terrestrial world for technological advancement capable of promoting national
development.

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 Recently, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)
designated the University as Centre of Excellence in Geology and Geophysical
Studies. This implies that the University will carry out funded research activities
relevant to the needs of the oil and gas industry.

I must confess that these feats are no doubt a product of commitment to

excellence by the entire staff and students of the University as well as the support of
each and everyone of you in one way or the other. As a family, we need to be united
in purpose and walk together in faith to accomplish the tasks ahead.

During my inauguration on 24th May, 2017, I unfolded my statement of intents

for FUTA. I captioned these as 7-Point Agenda. Although this has been widely
publicized in electronic and print media, it behoves on me to share the ideas with you
at this august assembly so that we can collectively evolve implementation strategies.
These are:
i. improvement of quality of academic programme;
ii. development of human resources;
iii. re-branding of FUTA as Centre of Excellence in Research, Innovation
and Product Development;
iv. deployment of ICT in learning and research;
v. enhancement of staff and students welfare;
vi. internalization and globalization; and
vii. improvement of capital base.

To place our University on a higher pedestal that we all desire for efficient
service delivery, the Management under my leadership on Tuesday, 13th June, 2017
inaugurated 22 Task Forces. The Task Forces were saddled with specific terms of
reference that can lead to review, amendment or formulation of policies that will
strategically reposition the University for international best practices as it recovers
from a 7-month crisis orchestrated by non-teaching staff unions in the University
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from October 2016 to May 2017. Reports from the Task Forces would also enhance
sustenance of academic culture, good work ethics and restoration of moral values in
the system to the admiration of stakeholders.

As a University, we are aware of the need to explore areas of our comparative

advantage in Science and Technology for the benefit of our institution, nation and
humanity at large. In this wise, the University Quality Assurance Unit and other units
responsible for good service delivery will be repositioned for the purpose of bringing
the best out of our staff to achieve excellence as a center of knowledge production.
FUTA as a family need continual solidarity and understanding to strengthen the
bound that tie us together.

The University will continue to remain focused in providing both qualitative

and quantitative education to undergraduate and postgraduate students in its charge.
FUTA as a University of choice is very lucky to have a responsible students body
that is making wave and doing us proud at different fora and has won laurels for the
University. It shows that the new generation of students in FUTA has also imbibed
the values which make you to be successful and make our graduates the toast of
employers of labour in Nigeria and beyond.

At this juncture distinguished Alumni, please permit me to make a clarion call

like the biblical Nehemiah who said in Chapter 2 verse 17 of his Book come, and
let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. FUTA covets
the devotion of your time, talent and treasure to the development of teaching,
learning, research and our infrastructural facilities. We invite you to make personal or
group contributions to bequeath a legacy in the University. We would be delighted to
hear from those of you who may be willing to help the University. There is nothing
you do that will be deemed too big or too negligible.

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 While appreciating your past efforts in identifying with your University, your
contributions are now more needful than ever to propel the next level we envisioned.
Although the Federal Government has been doing its best in term of funding, the
University as one of the institutions of State is not immune to economic recession
biting hard in Nigeria. To alleviate the burden faced by the shortage of resources, I
implore you to intervene in any of the following areas:
i. Institution of scholarship scheme to best student in your discipline;
ii. Institution of endowment fund and professorial chair;
iii. Scholarship to brilliant but indigent students;
iv. Building of classrooms, modern laboratory, departmental office, lecture
theater etc;
v. Donation of books and laboratory equipment;
vi. Donation of vehicles for field trip and departmental use; and
vii. Awards of endowment prizes.

On a final note, it is my greatest joy to be duly represented at this event. I

entertain no fear and have no doubt that the sky will be the starting point for the
greatness of our University provided we stay together as a family united in love for
the cause of FUTA. I wish you very fruitful deliberations and pray that the Almighty
God will grant you journey mercies back to your various destinations.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Prof. Joseph Adeola Fuwape

Vice Chancellor

5 August 2017