The Federal University of Technology, Ilaro (FUTI) is set to deepen its identity as a technology-driven institution, with the next phase of the administration of the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mukail Aremu Akinde, placing greater emphasis on engineering, hands-on technical skills, applied research and the conversion of knowledge into practical solutions.

Akinde, who marked four years at the helm of the institution, said the emerging Federal University of Technology, Ilaro must develop an identity firmly rooted in practical engineering and industrial problem-solving.

Looking ahead, he said the administration would focus on strengthening the “Engineering Identity” of FUTI, particularly through hands-on technical training, research and the practical application of knowledge.

The objective, according to him, is to move beyond research that remains within academic spaces and create an environment where innovations can be replicated, commercialised and deployed to address real-world industrial and societal challenges.

“We want to strengthen the Engineering Identity of FUTI,” Akinde said, stressing the importance of “hands-on technical skills, research and practical application of knowledge.”

He said the institution’s emerging orientation was designed to ensure that research and innovation translate into solutions that can serve industry and the wider society.

“The objective is to create an environment where research can be replicated and applied to real-world industrial and societal needs,” he said.

The emphasis on engineering and practical skills builds on a significant expansion of the institution’s academic structure over the past four years.

Since Akinde assumed office on September 27, 2022, as Rector of the then Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, the institution has grown from fewer than 10,000 students to more than 27,000, while its academic departments and programmes have expanded from 34 to more than 100.

The institution has also grown from six schools to eight specialised schools, with the addition of the School of Agriculture and the School of Art and Design and Printing Technology.

The expansion has included new programmes in areas such as Metallurgical Technology, Automotive Technology, Auto-body Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics, Cement Technology, Welding and Fabrication, Renewable Energy, Agricultural Technology, Animal Health, Horticulture, Crop Production and Agricultural Extension.

According to Akinde, the introduction of several of these programmes is deliberately linked to the industrial manpower needs of Nigeria.

He specifically cited the Welding and Fabrication and Cement Technology programmes, which he said were developed to provide specialised manpower for industries including Dangote Cement’s Ibese plant, other cement companies and the emerging industrial ecosystem around the Dangote refinery.

The institution’s practical orientation is also reflected in projects already being undertaken by its students, researchers and academic departments.

FUTI is currently fabricating 11 electric and solar-powered tricycles for campus transportation, while its Schools of Engineering and Pure and Applied Sciences have developed equipment for gari processing, waste conversion and agricultural applications, as well as printing and other production processes.

Among the technologies developed and patented by the institution are a 3-in-1 electric tricycle incorporating solar and CNG technology; an IoT-enabled solar egg incubator and hatcher with dynamic environmental control; an integrated mixer and extruder for mechanised kokoro production; a motorised palm-oil digester; a compact plastic-bottle shredder; and a customised biometric system for staff and students’ attendance and access control.

Reflecting on his four years in office, he deliberately played down the achievements recorded so far.

“We haven’t done anything, other than that we have to do more collectively with the Council, Principal Officers, Deans, Directors, Heads of Department, Heads of Units, Staff, Students and the Unions,” he said.

For him, the transition from the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, to the Federal University of Technology, Ilaro, provides an opportunity to build an institution whose academic identity is closely connected to Nigeria’s technological and industrial development.

He said the transition was progressing strategically, with committees headed by former University of Lagos Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ramon Bello, and Dr. Charlotte Bose Iro-Idoro handling different aspects of the process.

“Our people should know that the work of changing FPI to FUTI is progressing. Only that thing must be done strategically,” Akinde said.

The institution is targeting the 2027/28 academic session for the commencement of university education, subject to the required processes, including preparations for National Universities Commission verification.

According to the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Dr. Charlotte Bose Iro-Idoro, FUTI is preparing to commence university operations with nine faculties covering Engineering Technology, Sciences, Environmental Technology, Communication and Information, Administrative and Management Sciences, Social Sciences, Computing, Agricultural Technology and Visual Arts.

The Registrar, Mrs. Aderonke Folasade Babatola, said the institution now has at least 80 PhD holders, while 371 new members of staff have been recruited in two batches of 146 and 225.

She added that the institution was seeking waivers to enable it to recruit more professors.