The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Prof. Nnenna N. Oti, has announced that a total of 3,358 students will graduate during the institution’s 38th Convocation Ceremony, even as she prepares to leave office after a successful tenure marked by significant academic and infrastructural advancements.
Addressing journalists during a pre-convocation press briefing held at the Council Chamber on Tuesday, Prof. Oti described the event as particularly emotional, noting that it coincides with the conclusion of her tenure as the university’s eighth substantive Vice-Chancellor.
“This particular convocation holds something unique for me because it is holding as part of my end-of-tenure activities and offers me the opportunity to render my final account as I bow out as the 8th substantive Vice-Chancellor of this great institution,” she said.
According to her, 3,061 students will receive first degrees, while 297 candidates will be awarded higher degrees and postgraduate diplomas during the convocation scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 2026.
She disclosed that the overall best graduating student for the 2024/2025 academic session is Onyeka Remigius Chinecherem of the Department of Optometry, who graduated with a CGPA of 4.91 on a scale of 5.0.
The Vice-Chancellor also announced that the university would confer honorary doctorate degrees on three distinguished Nigerians in recognition of their contributions to national development and humanity.The recipients are the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR; Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited, Barr. Mrs. Catherine Uju Ifejika, OFR; and Founder and CEO of MRS Holdings Limited, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata.
Reviewing the achievements of her administration, Prof. Oti revealed that FUTO’s national ranking had improved significantly.
“FUTO’s ranking moved from 34th to 11th in Nigeria by the Times Higher Education World University Ranking Agency, while our graduates rank second in the National Employability Index assessment,” she stated, adding that the university secured 11 National Research Fund grants worth over N256 million in 2024 and won a total of 36 NRF awards within five years.
The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that the university established 17 new academic programmes during her administration and successfully upgraded the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri (FUTHO).
Prof. Oti also announced that FUTO now has 66 fully accredited programmes compared to 45 at the commencement of her administration. “Almost 100 per cent of our programmes now have full NUC and professional accreditation status,” she said.
On student admissions, she disclosed that the university’s carrying capacity increased by more than 80 per cent, rising from over 5,000 in 2021 to more than 9,000 currently.
She also noted remarkable improvements in administrative efficiency.
“Transcript processing time was reduced from three to six months to less than two weeks, while processing efficiency now stands at over 98 per cent,” she said.
Prof. Oti highlighted the impact of FUTO’s Centres of Excellence, revealing that the university attracted multi-million-dollar investments through research and innovation programmes.
According to her, the FUTO Africa Centre of Excellence in Future Energies and Electrochemical Systems attracted funding valued at over $6 million and additional grants exceeding £1 million, while the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards secured over $15 million in funding.
She further disclosed that massive infrastructure investments exceeding N150 billion were attracted from the Federal Government, TETFund, NDDC, private organisations, alumni and development partners during her tenure.
On power supply, the Vice-Chancellor said the university now enjoys uninterrupted electricity.
“It gladdens my heart to inform this distinguished audience that FUTO now enjoys 24-hour uninterrupted power supply achieved through the successful completion of the Energizing Education Programme Phase III Project and the installation of a 63MVA Mobile Substation,” she said.
Prof. Oti expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, TETFund, donor agencies, alumni and friends of the university for their support.
