.…says scheme helps disadvantaged Nigerians to access higher education
…confirms rapid development of the university
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences (FUTES), Iyin-Ekiti, Prof. James Aribisala, has commended President Bola Tinubu for introducing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing the initiative as one of the greatest developments in university education in Nigeria.
Aribisala said the scheme was providing children from low income families with an opportunity to access university education, describing the initiative as “highly commendable” and unprecedented in the history of the country.
He made the remarks on Friday while addressing journalists at a press conference, held at the university campus in Iyin-Ekiti.
According to him, a good number of FUTES students, are already benefiting from NELFUND funding.
“To me, one of the greatest things to have happened to university education in Nigeria is this NELFUND, that the children of the poor can attend universities,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to Tinubu for the initiative, saying it would enable more Nigerians who might otherwise be unable to afford university education to pursue their studies.
Aribisala also disclosed that Senator Opeyemi Bamidele had pledged N1 billion for research at FUTES over the next five years.
He said the commitment would amount to N200 million annually, adding that members of the academic staff had already started submitting proposals while a Senate committee had been constituted to scrutinise the projects.
He said the university had, within its first academic session, also secured a National Research Fund (NRF) grant through a lecturer in the Faculty of Computing.
The Vice-Chancellor described the feat as significant, noting that the NRF grant was competitively awarded and that not many universities had secured it within their first academic session.
He said FUTES had also established multidisciplinary research groups through its Centre for Research and Innovation to enable researchers to attract grants locally and internationally.
Aribisala further disclosed that the university was close to signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Morgan State University in the United States for academic and research collaboration.
On academic expansion, the Vice-Chancellor said the National Universities Commission (NUC) had conducted resource verification for three proposed programmes, Artificial Intelligence, Telecommunication Science, and Tourism and Hospitality Management.
He said the university is awaiting the outcome of the exercise before commencing admission into the programmes.
According to him, approval of the programmes would make FUTES one of the early universities in Nigeria to offer some of the emerging technology-related courses.
He added that the university plans to introduce Anatomy, Physiology, Nursing and Medicine in the future, subject to the completion of the necessary facilities at its permanent site.
Aribisala said about 38 buildings were currently under construction or nearing completion at the permanent site of the university.
He disclosed that some of the facilities would support the university’s expansion into a residential institution.
FUTES, according to him, commenced its first academic session with 1,564 students spread across 35 departments in four faculties, Natural and Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Computing and Information Technology, and Environmental Sciences.
He said the university had successfully completed both semesters of its 2025/2026 academic session, adding that the new academic session would commence on October 12, 2026.
On infrastructure, he said the university had benefited from interventions of the Federal Government, individuals and organisations.
He particularly acknowledged Sen. Bamidele for providing seed funding, buildings and vehicles that facilitated the university’s take-off.
He also commended the Managing Director of Premium Trust Bank, Dr. Emmanuel Emefienim, for providing funds used to establish laboratories.
Aribisala said members of the Iyin-Ekiti community and some families had also contributed to the development of the university, including the donation of 200 hectares of land for the permanent site.
He said the university had received interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in the areas of hostel accommodation, office furniture, lecture theatres, laboratories and workshop equipment.
He appealed to public-spirited individuals, organisations and corporate bodies to partner with the university in providing additional infrastructure and facilities.
He listed faculty buildings, research equipment, teaching facilities, offices, lecture theatres, hostels and buses among areas requiring further support.
He urged individuals and organisations to support the institution’s development, saying, “We know government cannot do this work. It’s not done anywhere, even outside Nigeria.”
The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted the academic achievements of students and staff during the inaugural session.
He disclosed that two 100-level students distinguished themselves at a data analysis and visualisation competition, with one Mathematics student emerging second in the data analysis and visualisation category while competing against students from higher levels in other universities.
Another 100-level Data Science student, he said, emerged first in the predictive modelling category.
He said four academic staff of the university were also ranked among the top 500 researchers in Nigeria.
The Vice-Chancellor attributed the achievements to the quality of students and academics recruited by the institution.
He said the university had also invested in staff development through training in quality assurance, strategic grant writing, interdisciplinary collaboration, academic culture and security.
On staff welfare, he said FUTES had cleared areas arising from the new salary structure for both academic and non-teaching staff.
He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, the Governing Council, management, staff, students, community leaders and other benefactors for their contributions to the successful completion of the university’s first academic session.
The Vice-Chancellor said the institution’s long-term vision is to become a residential, ICT-compliant university capable of producing graduates who would create jobs rather than depend solely on seeking employment.
He said the university also aims to become one of the leading universities globally within its first 10 years.
