A total of 256 students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, have earned first-class degrees as the institution prepares to graduate 3,039 students at its 37th convocation ceremony.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, announced this on Friday during a press conference ahead of the ceremony scheduled for next week.
According to her, the graduating class comprises 2,152 male and 887 female students, with first-class graduates accounting for 256 of the total.
Giving a breakdown of the results, Oladiji said 1,717 students obtained second-class upper degrees, while 964 graduated with second-class lower degrees. Another 102 students finished with third-class degrees.
She described the graduates as products of sustained academic engagement, practical learning, research and personal development, adding that the university had equipped them with the knowledge and skills needed to contribute meaningfully to society.
“These graduates represent the outcome of sustained academic engagement, practical learning, research and personal development. Our responsibility has been to provide them with the knowledge, skills and intellectual discipline required to compete effectively, contribute to their communities and create solutions wherever their careers may take them,” she said.
Beyond academic qualifications, the vice-chancellor said FUTA was working to prepare students for the demands of the workplace and entrepreneurship through practical training, research exposure and innovation-driven learning.
She explained that the institution wanted its graduates to become creative thinkers, responsible professionals and potential employers of labour rather than depend solely on available jobs.
Oladiji said FUTA also aimed to produce graduates who could contribute to existing industries and create opportunities in technology, agriculture, manufacturing, environmental management and digital services.
On the university’s academic development, she said FUTA remained committed to maintaining high standards while ensuring its programmes responded to industry needs and national development priorities.
She added that the institution was strengthening research-led teaching and interdisciplinary learning to help students apply classroom knowledge to real-life challenges.
Meanwhile, more than 7,000 FUTA students have benefited from the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme, according to the vice-chancellor.
Oladiji described the initiative as beneficial to students, noting that more were still seeking to enrol in the scheme.
“As of today, talking about NELFUND, over 7,000 students of the Federal University of Technology have benefited from NELFUND, and we have many more students that are trying to enrol also to be on NELFUND. This is an initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that I think is working,” she said.
She reaffirmed the university’s commitment to strengthening its academic programmes, research and innovation as part of efforts to support Nigeria’s technological and economic development.
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