Federal University of Technology, Owerri

About Federal University of Technology, Owerri

The 1980's marked a turning point in the history of university education in Nigeria. There was an urgent need for skilled, innovative and technologically oriented manpower for the technology base of our national economy. Hence, in June 1980s a decision was taken by the President-in-Council to establish a University of Technology in each geo-political state of the country which did not have a university. The implementation of this Federal Government's decision started with the establishment of three new Universities of Technology in Bauchi, Benue and Imo States in October 1980.

The Federal University of Technology, Owerri was the first start. It started operating on November 28, 1980 in the premises of the old Government Technical College, Owerri with a compliment of ten staff borrowed from the Imo State Civil Service.

Prof. Umaru Dechi Gomwalk, former Head of Department of Chemistry and former Dean of the Faculty of Science in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was appointed the first Vice-Chancellor; he was succeeded by Prof. Amagh Nduka a Professor of Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics as the second Vice-Chancellor of the University (1987 - 1991). After him, Engr.Prof. C.O.G. Obah, a professor of Communication Engineering was appointed as the third Vice-Chancelor of the University with effect from January 1992 to December 1999. He was succeeded by Prof. J.E. Njoku who took office as the fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor on 7 August 2000. From squatting at the Government Technical College, the University moved its operations to Ikenegbu and later to its temporary site, the Lake Nwaebere campus, named after a seasonal water-point which affects the whole terrain of the campus. This site was originally intended for the Federal Government Girls' College, Owerri and is situated behind the Imo State Civil Service and Public Service commission premises along SAMEK road off Okigwe road, Owerri. It is less than two kilometers from the center of the town and provides an impressive view of most part of Owerri.

Lake Nwaebere campus contained some residential facilities for staff and students, classrooms, laboratories and a library block adequate for the beginning but which became mostly inadequate for the increasing population of staff and students. A temporary set of engineering workshops, a multipurpose hall and a large lecture theatre were added for lectures, cultural, social and/or ceremonial activities. The University acquired a permanent site of about 4,580 hectares in area. This is located south of the new Owerri metropolis and between the western external tangent (Owerri-Port Harcourt road) and the eastern external tangent (Oweri-Aba). It is bisected by a new road between Obinze and Nekede.

Development of the permanent site started in 1985 but was grossly slowed down because of inadequate funds for the execution of projects. However, with the improved funding from Government, work resumed in earnest, with the result that by 1991 a number of projects were completed and handed over to the University. These include the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology Building, two Engineering Workshops, a pilot Plant, a road network, two water boreholes, a pumping station, switching station, a bridge, two gate houses, the Industrial Chemistry Building, two student Hostels, and a Medical Centre. The School Block for the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology was nearing completion.

Academic activities started in the University in 1981/82 session with only one school, the school of Natural and Applied Sciences (SNAS) now renamed the School of Science. In the 1982/83 academic year, three other undergraduate schools were added. They are the Schools of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SEET), Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT) and Management Technology (SMAT). A Postgraduate School was approved for the University in January 1989 and Post Graduate academic activities started in October of the same year. The university has a center for Industrial Studies (CIS). It was established in 1985 as an autonomous academic support unit which serves as educational, industrial and professional training center for both staff and students. A computer Centre was also established and is expected to develop as a central computing facility to support teaching, research and consultancy. The University also established an MIS unit (Management Information Systems) to handle all aspects of administrative computing. Other academic support units in the University are the University Farm of the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology. It serves as a teaching and research unit for both staff and students of the school. The university library which started functioning right from inception with an initial collection of 8163 volumes presently has over 500,000 volumes.

A critical point in the history of the development of the university was reached in January 1993. as a result of unmitigating pressures from government, the university was forced to make a hurried movement out of its temporary site at the Lake Nwaebere campus, into the virgin woodlands of its permanent site in Ihiagwa. Due to the dynamic leadership of its vice-chancellor Engr. Prof. C.O.G. Obah, the university successfully moved to its permanent site in January 1993. this feat was accomplished without any enabling funds from the government. Since then, a multitude of buildings and facilities have been completed at the permanent site. These include two additional student hostels, a multitude activity complex, a modern staff school, two large classroom blocks, a temporary building for the Registry, a foundry glass blowing laboratory, two 500KVA generators with generator housing, an Animal Housing Laboratory, a building for the FUTO Community Bank and a building for Transport Management Technology. Presently other buildings nearing completion include a modern Computer Centre Complex, an ultra modern Senate Building, a 500-seater capacity lecture theatre, as well as an endowed 750-seater capacity lecture theatre. The university has also embarked on a bold project to provide street lighting for all the major roads on campus. FUTO which started with an initial undergraduate intake of 225 students enrolled in its School of Science in the 1981/82 session has now grown to about 9000 students enrolled in the 1999/2000 session. The Postgraduate School which started during the 1989/90 session with a total enrolment of only 54 students now has a student population of over 1000 students.

The Federal University of Technology, Owerri came to maturity when in December 1986, it turned out its batch of 67 graduates from the School of Science. The number of graduates increased to 175 during the 1986/87 session and has continued to increase to about 2000 graduate in the 1999/2002. It also graduated its batch of postgraduate students numbering 11.the expansion of FUTO has been in all dimensions. Staff population has grown from the ten borrowed from the Imo State Civil Service in 1980/81 to over 3500 during the 1999/2000 academic year. Similarly, the number of academic staff has grown from an initial poulation of 23 in the 1981/82 session to over 400 in the 1999/2000 session. Presently the university has over 200 technical staff, about 500 administrative staff and over 1000 junior staff. The Federal University of Technology, Owerri has indeed come a long way. It has moved from a squatting position at the Government Technical College to a semi-sitting position at its Lake Nwaebere Campus and now it is almost well settled at its permanent site.