The Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi (FUTIA) has expressed readiness to produce graduates who would beat the age-long records of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States in Aerospace Engineering and other fields of technology.
The Vice Chancellor of the new University of Technology, Prof Leo Daniel, who made the promise when members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State, paid him a courtesy visit at the temporary campus in Ikot Abasi disclosed that the institution has two facilities: Wine Tunnel and Aerodrome that will put students of Aerospace engineering at vantage position to have practical knowledge and embark on research in their chosen career.
Daniel, a professor of aerospace engineering from Russian University and MIT in the United States, disclosed that the facilities are not even available in some Airports in Nigeria, adding that the students are fortunate to have them for their practical studies.
Located in Akwa state, Prof. Daniel says the institution has acquired wind tunnel and Aerodrome for research and training of students in the department of Aerospace engineering to produce graduates in such fields that would compete favourably with their counterparts in Western Universities.
“Wind tunnel that we don’t even have in Akwa Ibom Airport will soon be here. And we will have what we call Aerodrome which will be part of the Aerospace Engineering facilities for training and for research as well as other facilities that are coming in to equip this institution, to ensure that graduates from FUTIA would compete favourably with their counterparts in universities in the Western countries”.
The Vice Chancellor said the National Universities Commission (NUC) has so far approved three schools of Engineering Technology, Applied Science and Computing Information Technology with 12 departments including other programmes such as Cyber Security and Naval Architecture, among others.
“We are a technologically advanced institution with a mandate to build an institution that will bring in other programmes that have not been seen in the past. NUC has approved three schools with 12 programmes, we are expecting accreditation within the next three years and approval of more schools.
“We started with 550 students that were admitted and they just finished their first semester exams for the session. We have 3 schools with 12 programmes. Among them is the Department of Aerospace Engineering which is my field of expertise.
“It is a research thrust area we want to build in the Federal University of Technology. Other programmes such as Cyber Security and Naval Architecture are parts of the programmes for the first in Nigeria’,” Prof. Daniel explained.
He said the institution depends on funds from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund) and Akwa Ibom state government who donated land in Ikot Okpo Inua and Ette community for the takeoff of the institution.
Daniel, who boasted that FUTIA remains the best in the South-South region, explained that the institution within the short time has benefitted from TETFund through some intervention projects such as supply of furniture, other equipment and grants. He added that more are expected to develop infrastructure in the new university.
He categorized TETFund interventions in the institution to include take-off grants, high impact grants, zonal intervention and normal interventions.
He however appreciated Akwa Ibom state government for the land and other logistics and requested for construction of an internal road network within the campus to curb complications associated with coastal terrain of the area.
The Vice Chancellor mentioned that 90 Academic staff with excellent academic background have been recruited so far, while 120 non-academic staff have been employed to start the university, assuring that more will be engaged as the institution expands.
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