……As School Set to Convocate 5,735 Students
By: Tochi Onyeubi
It is looking like happy times for host communities housing the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, as management of the university got approval from the council to institute a Thirty Million Naira award to ten host communities.
This information was revealed recently, by the Vice Chancellor, FUTO, Prof. Mrs Nnenna Oti recently, during the press briefing with journalists in the council chamber at the school’s senate building, as part of the preparation for the 34th and 35th convocation ceremony.
The VC informed that, the award is subdivded into three categories- the Host Community scholarship scheme of 10 Million naira, which targets 100 students beneficiaries in tertiary institution with an award of One Hundred Thousand each to each selected students. The poverty alleviation project, with an award of 10 Million naira, targeting 100 poor women and youths, and community development attracting another 10 Million annually which will be a joint host communities project, with communities to decide on project of their choice.
As part of activities this week to mark convocation ceremony on Saturday, 2nd December 2023, the institution will be having an Ecumenical service, planting at selected sites, convocation lectures and other educational activities.
Listing achievements of the institution, Prof. Oti informed that, the department of Building, Quantity Survey, Urban and Regional planning and 98% of the courses in the school have gotten full accreditation status from the accrediting institutions, while the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria have granted professional approval to the university to commence the study and award of Bachelor of Environmental Health Science programme.
In addition, 17 new programme undergraduate and post graduate have been established in the school.
Other achievements listed by the Prof. Nnenna Oti include, upgrading of the Federal Medical Centre to Federal University Teaching Hospital, Increase in admission quota, physical infrastructural development, Improvement in FUTO commercial ventures, Expansion of ICT infrastructure, Improved partnership and collaborations, staff welfare and development.
Highlights of the briefing was the exhibition of the waste to renewable energy invention and other innovations created by students and lecturers of the institution.
