By Abbas Nazil
The Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has pledged to supply Nigeria with highly skilled manpower to support technological advancement and environmental sustainability.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Gbenga Aribisala,
made this commitment in an interview while reflecting on the early progress of the newly established federal university and its role in national development.
Professor Aribisala disclosed that the university has already commenced academic activities with a student population of about 1,500, marking a major milestone barely nine months after its foundational processes began.
He described the takeoff as both exciting and challenging, noting that the institution successfully passed the mandatory verification exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission.
According to him, the successful NUC verification cleared the path for full academic operations and confirmed that the university met national standards for teaching and learning.
The vice chancellor emphasized that the core mandate of FUTES is to produce graduates capable of positioning Nigeria competitively in technology-driven and environmentally sensitive sectors.
He explained that all academic programmes were carefully designed to combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills that respond directly to modern technological and environmental challenges.
Professor Aribisala said the institution aims to build national human capital that can drive innovation, sustainability, and long-term economic growth.
He stressed that investment in quality education, research, and capacity building remains central to the university’s vision of contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s development agenda.
The vice chancellor expressed confidence that graduates of the university would make strong impacts both locally and internationally in advancing technology and environmental sciences.
He also revealed that the university had attracted some of the best academic minds in the Nigerian university system through its recruitment process.
According to him, highly ranked research scholars, including some of the top twenty researchers in the country, are now part of the institution’s academic staff.
He noted that the presence of such scholars would directly translate into high-quality graduates equipped to solve real-world problems.
Speaking on academic structure, Professor Aribisala said the university has remained faithful to its mandate by establishing faculties aligned with future global needs.
He listed the faculties as Engineering and Technology, Natural and Applied Sciences, Computing, and Environmental Sciences.
He described computing as the future of global development, while highlighting programmes such as forensic science, toxicology, science laboratory technology, and animal and environmental biology.
According to him, these disciplines place the university at the forefront of developing technological solutions for environmental protection.
Professor Aribisala further commended the Federal Government for the take-off grants allocated to the university, describing them as generous compared to those given to older institutions.
The vice chancellor expressed confidence that funding support would significantly accelerate infrastructural development and academic excellence at the institution.
He reaffirmed FUTES’ commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration in producing graduates who will be a blessing to Nigeria.
