FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA.

The Federal University of Technology, Minna is a Federal Government owned University in Nigeria. It was established on 1st February, 1983. The objective for its establishment is to give effect to the Nation’s drive for the much-needed self-reliance in Science, Engineering and especially Technology. It is a specialized University of Technology.

The pioneer Vice-Chancellor was Professor J.O. Ndagi who served from 1983 to 1990. He was succeeded by Professor S.O. Adeyemi from 1990 and 1994. Between 1994 and 1997 Professor I.H. Umar served as Sole Administrator. Professor S.A. Garba was briefly acting Vice-Chancellor between 26 th June and 6th August, 1997. On 7th August, 1997 Prof. M.A. Daniyan became the third substantive Vice Chancellor of the University till 6th August, 2002. Prof. J.O. Adeniyi served from 7th August to 2nd October, 2002 as acting Vice Chancellor. The current Vice-Chancellor Prof. H. Tukur Sa’ad was appointed on 3rd October, 2002.

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The pioneer Registrar was late Dr. B.P. Sawa who served from 1983 to 1986. Dr Bawa Salka was acting Registrar between 1986 and 1988. Then Mrs. L.S.J. Ahmed became the Registrar of the University between 1988 and 1993. She was succeeded by Alhaji U.A. Sadiq who served as the Registrar from October, 1998 - 2003, having acted in that position since 1993. The current Acting Registrar Mallam M.D. Usman was appointed on 1st October, 2003.

At inception, the University acquired on a permanent basis, the facilities of the former Government Teachers' College Bosso which now serves as the Bosso Campus of the University. It has undergone a tremendous. face-lift and wears a beautiful outlook befitting a modern University. The University acquired 10,650 hectares of land at Gidan-Kwano along the Minna - Kataeregi - Bida Road as its permanent site, to carter for the necessary inevitable expansion envisaged.

On Tuesday, June, 2nd 1992 the former President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida GCFR, fss, mni (rtd), performed the Sod Turning Ceremony to mark the commencement of projects on the main campus site. And since then work had started in earnest for the physical development of the Main Campus which in phase I consists of the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT), School of Environmental Technology (SET), School of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SEET) Buildings, Students Hostels, Students Center, University Library, Senate Building, Staff houses, Computer Centre as well as the Industrial Development Centre.

The completion of students’ hostels, some staff houses, SET and SEET buildings
facilitated the commencement of full academic activities in the Main Campus at the beginning of the 2004/2005 academic session. Meanwhile, SAAT is temporarily occupying a part of the SEET Complex pending the completion of its building.

Since its inception, the University has graduated students, whose market value is being adjudged very satisfactory and are in high demand both in government and industry, servicing the technological needs of the nation. The figure showed a remarkable growth rate from 22 graduates in 1990, to 662 in 1998 and total students enrolments are now over 13,000 with corresponding academic staff strength of 504.

The University has recorded quite a number of academic achievements which, include the design and fabrication of a number of highly valuable items of socio-economic importance such as the Solar air heater, Motor-car crankshaft, Gearing system for crane hoist drives, Rice de-stoning machine, Maize sheller, Multi-purpose grinder, Irrigation models, Poultry feeder amongst a host of other creative innovations. It is equally gratifying to note that the University has gained recognition nationwide as a Centre for Excellence in Computer Science having been so designated by the National Universities Commission. In pursuit of this, the University obtained Internet connectivity towards the end of 1998, acquired its VSAT facility in 2003, and by 2005/2006 academic session students’ registration was conducted on-line. Now the members of the University Community can easily access information the World over on the super highway.

In pursuance of academic excellence in solving human problems, Professor S.A. Garba of the Department of Microbiology led a team of researchers in the development and production of typhoid fever vaccines. This project is sponsored by the Unipetrol Nigeria Plc. The team has been able to develop and produce typhoid fever vaccines. And having completed the testing on mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and monkeys, the Vaccine was tested on humans with amazing success. The new vaccine would soon b e made available to the global market after further due process.

For the purpose of generating internal revenue to supplement government funds the University established the FUTMIN CONSULT, a consultancy outfit. The outfit has continued to make some positive impact to justify its establishment. In this regard, it has undertaken the following consultancy services among others: Gurara Inter Basin Water Transfer. NNDC/UNIDO Project. EEC/FGN Middle-Belt Project, Niger State Ecological Mapping for wheat growing, ADB/ONDO State Ecological Zone Mapping, Mando Fish Farm and TRANSCORP-HILTON Hotel Sewage Design, Environmental Impact assessment of Kagara Dam for the Upper Niger River Basin and Rural Development Authority (UNRBDA). FUTMIN CONSULT is also a consultant to INEC on its Computerization and Telecommunication Programme, and to UBE on its programmes in Niger and Kogi States. Other consultancy services recently carried out by the FUTMIN CONSULT include the Second National Fadama Development Project (Fadama II) in Niger State and the Niger State Agroclimatological zones and Land use mapping into crop zones.

In August 2003 the University Council formalized the Centre for Climate Change and Freshwater Resources (CCCFR) as one of three newly established Centres. The others are Centre for Human Settlements and Urban Development (CHSUD) and Centre for Remedial and Extra-mural Studies (CRES). The CCCFR in collaboration with environmentalists in the six Geopolitical Zones of Nigeria have just concluded a N105 million National Agro-Climatic Atlas Project to combat effects of climate change-induced natural disaster in Nigeria sponsored by the Ecological Fund Office of the Presidency. The second phase of the project is awaiting Federal Executive Council’s approval. Aart from this project, the Centre is now into collaborative climate change studies with University of Cape Town, South Africa, while its scientists continue as consulting experts with United Nations Agencies like UNFCCC, WMO, UNEP, UNDP, FAO, UNESCO etc. The Centre is also involved in the university’s Sustainable Livelihood initiative in the context of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2015) and is about to commence a new professional programme in Climate Change Disaster Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction as a prelude to a programme in Disaster Early Warning.

The Centre for Human Settlements and Urban Development (CHSUD) which was established by the University in collaboration with the UN-Habitat is to assist in settlements, Urban Governance and Urban Development. Since then, CHSUD has focused attention on building capacity at all levels of government, for effective Urban Environmental Management such as establishment of Environmental Management Information System, Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma Programmes in Public-Private Partnership for Urban Environment. With the support of the Collaborative Learning Course established by a partnership of UNDP and Yale University, U.S.A. CHSUD is currently carrying out consultancy service for UN-Habitat, in four Nigerian cities (Ibadan, Enugu, Kano and Karu) on the use of implementation instruments for sustainable cities programme. In its effort to contribute to the development of manpower for urban environmental management in Nigeria, CHSUD is in the process of designing post-graduate courses (M.Sc. and Ph.D) in City Planning and Urban Design, with the support of UN-Habitat.

The Centre for Remedial and Extra-Mural Studies (CRES) is responsible for coordination of all academic programmes not funded by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Remedial course is a one-year terminal programme specifically designed to equip candidates from catchment areas with emphasis on Niger State, who are deficient in some basic science subjects and are unable to meet UME admission requirements. Admission into this programme is also extended to other thirty-six states of the federation and FCT. On successful completion of Remedial programme, students secure admission into the various degree programmes run by the University. Approval has also been given to the Centre to commence Diploma and Certificate programmes.

More recently in August 2006, the Centre for Research and Development in Information Technology (CREDIT) was established. This latest Centre is not only to make Federal University of Technology, Minna, ICT compliant but also to launch the University into the global market of certified software development.

In the area of domestic and foreign linkages and collaboration, the Management of the University recently created two new directorates to cater for this important function of networking. These are the Directorate of Affiliation and Local Linkages (ALL) and the Directorate of Collaboration and External Linkages (CEL).

The University has established a linkage programme with the University of Namibia and the University of Scienec and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. The Unversity has also signed a memorandum of understanding with The German Agency for Technical Coorperation (GTZ) and the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP).Nigeria. It is also a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Association of African Universities. It has also honoured some Distinguished Gentlemen and Achievers namely: Alhaji (Dr) Shehu Idris, CFR, the Emir of Zazzau; Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Dasuki. CFR, the former Sultan of Sokoto, late Alhaji (Dr) Abdulrahman Mora and Dr. Sam Nujoma, the former President of the Republic of Namibia, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda (rtd), the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings (rtd), the former President of the Republic of Ghana, Prof. Jonathan Othman Ndagi, pioneer Vice Chancellor, of the University and Mr. Raphael O.A. Shonekan, the pioneer Principal, Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom. Others include, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the Executive Governor of Osun State, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, the Waziri of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu the Sadauna Minna and Mr Alioune Badiane of the UN Habitat, Nairobi – Kenya.

In recognition of excellence in areas of Science and Technology, the University has been attracting high calibre and eminent scholars to its fold. In addition, most of its academic programmes have full accreditation and the rest interim accreditation by the recent exercises conducted by relevant professional bodies and the NUC. The only programme that was denied accreditation during the recent (November, 2005) NUC accreditation exercise was a new programme started in 2002 which is yet to mature for accreditation.