153 bag first class as FUTA holds 31st convocation

The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has disclosed that about 153 students of the institution are set to bag First Class degrees during the institution’s 31st convocation ceremonies which will be held this weekend, December 20 and 21, 2019.

Disclosing this during a press conference to herald the 31st convocation ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Joseph Fuwape, said the first class students are among the 3110 from various departments of the university, to be awarded bachelor’s degrees during the convocation.

Fuwape who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development, Prof Philip Oguntade
said 1514 will bag Second Class Upper, 216 students fell within the Third Class bracket while 15 graduated with the Pass grade category.

He disclosed that a student of the Department of Physiology, School of Health and Health Technology, Mr Saheed Adesile Lawal, would be awarded the overall best graduating student for the 2018/2019 academic session with Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.92.

Fuwape expressed delight over improvement on the number of first-class graduates compared to last year’s convocation where the institution produced 120 First Class graduates adding that two new schools, Health and Health Technology and Computing will be presenting their first set of graduating students at the. convocation ceremony.

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According to Fuwape, the School of Postgraduates will also be presenting 122 graduands for PhD while 720 and 517 will get Masters and PGD respectively.

He disclosed that honorary degree award will be conferred on Mr Ananou Gabin Kouevi of the African Climate Competence Centres in the Management Agency of the Department of Environment, Culture and Sustainability, Germany for his contribution of the programme in Nigeria, West and Southern African sub-region.

Speaking on the achievements recorded in the last one year, he said “a team of final year students came first at the Nigerian Statistical Association Competition for University Students, NSACUS 2019. while 42 final year Students from 21 Institutions participated in the competition in Abuja, FUTA came first with a two-man team made up of Usman Idowu and Mikail Olajide, alongside Coach J. A. Kupolusi.

“While Ekong Rebecca, Damilare Akinlose, Akerele Abraham led by Dr O. O Obe won the second position during the Algorithmic Program Contest for Tertiary Institutions in Abuja under the National Computer Programming Contest for Students of Higher Institutions, NUCPC organised by the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja

“52 students of the University also won the MTN Scholarship recently, making it the highest win in the southwest.

“Another FUTA student has designed and put a unique Heliosat (Drone) in flight. The FUTA-Heliosat is not the normal Drone device. It is much more. It is actually a mini satellite with the additional advantage of landing on water while its sensors pick information and send directly to a ground station.

“It can climb to a specific height while being remote controlled and directed to the task assigned to it. Technically called the Environmental Data Analysis and Aerial Video Drone -EDAV-Drone- from the Project that gave birth to it, it can also serve as a normal drone for aerial surveillance or to capture sensation in the atmosphere.

He, however, said some projects will be commissioned during the convocation ceremony, listing the projects to include the inauguration of the school of management block of offices, school of computing complex, equipment and furniture for Computer Based Test Center for Continuing Education

Others include Laboratory Furniture for the School of Sciences and for the School of Health and Health Technology and reconstructed areas in the Academic core are and other parts of the university.