Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
The Federal University of Technology, Ilaro (FUTI), Ogun State, is targeting the 2027/2028 academic session for the commencement of university education as the institution progresses with its transition from the former Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.
The institution’s Rector, Dr. Mukail Aremu Akinde, disclosed the target while reflecting on developments at the institution four years after he assumed office as Rector of the then Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, in September 2022.
According to Akinde, the transition to a university of technology is progressing through committees working on different aspects of the process, with the institution also preparing for National Universities Commission (NUC) verification.
“Our people should know that the work of changing FPI to FUTI is progressing. Only that thing must be done strategically,” Akinde said.
Institution Records Expansion in Student Population and Programmes
The transition comes amid substantial growth in the institution’s student population and academic offerings.
Current reports on the institution’s four-year development indicate that its student population has increased from fewer than 10,000 to more than 27,000, while its academic programmes have grown from 34 to more than 100.
The expansion has also included the development of additional academic structures and specialised schools.
The institution has grown from six schools to eight, with the addition of the School of Agricultural Technology and the School of Art, Design and Printing Technology. The expansion has occurred alongside growth in staffing, infrastructure, research activities and academic programmes.
However, the reported figure of 66 programmes requires clarification.
An official 2026 matriculation speech states that the institution had 47 National Diploma programmes and 57 Higher National Diploma programmes. The HND programmes included options that brought the total number of HND offerings to 85, while 66 of those were identified as technical programmes across areas including engineering, applied sciences, environmental studies and agriculture.
The figure therefore should not be presented as evidence that FUTI has newly added 66 programmes.
Nine Faculties Planned for University Operations
As part of preparations for university status, FUTI is planning to commence operations with nine faculties.
The Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Dr Charlotte Bose Iro-Idoro, said the proposed faculties will cover Engineering Technology, Sciences, Environmental Technology, Communication and Information, Administrative and Management Sciences, Social Sciences, Computing, Agricultural Technology and Visual Arts.
The institution also plans to operate a Centre for General Studies.
The proposed structure reflects the institution’s intention to retain its technical and technological foundation while expanding into broader university-level disciplines.
That direction is also consistent with the institution’s stated ambition to strengthen its engineering identity through practical training, research and the application of technology to industrial and societal challenges.
NUC Verification Remains Important
The planned 2027/2028 commencement is not simply an administrative change of name.
For the transition to a fully functioning university, the institution must complete the relevant regulatory and academic processes, including preparation for NUC verification.
Current reporting indicates that FUTI is working on an Academic Brief as part of the transition process. A new institutional Master Plan is also expected to be finalised.
An internal FUTI document relating to NUC resource verification also shows that academic departments were being directed to align their curricula with the NUC’s Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards while preparing documentation for programme verification.
This means that the proposed 2027/2028 take-off remains a target dependent on the completion of the required processes.
The institution’s own current admission materials also demonstrate that the transition is taking place in stages. Its 2026/2027 admission notice describes the exercise as the final admission exercise into National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes of the former Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, under the institution’s new university identity.
Staffing Expansion Accompanies the Transition
The growth in programmes and student numbers has increased the institution’s demand for academic and non-academic personnel.
Registrar Mrs Aderonke Folasade Babatola said the institution currently has at least 80 PhD holders among its staff and has recruited 371 new employees in two batches of 146 and 225.
She also said the institution was seeking waivers to allow it to recruit additional professors.
The staffing issue is particularly significant as the institution moves from a polytechnic structure towards university operations.
University programmes require appropriate academic staffing, facilities, laboratories, curriculum structures and other resources before they can be formally established and sustained.
Engineering and Technology at the Centre of the Transition
Akinde has identified the strengthening of FUTI’s “Engineering Identity” as a major focus for the next phase of his administration.
The objective, according to reports on the institution’s development plans, is to strengthen hands-on technical skills, research and practical applications of knowledge.
The institution wants research generated within its academic environment to be capable of being applied to real industrial and societal problems.
This emphasis is significant given the institution’s history as a polytechnic and its existing concentration in engineering, applied sciences, environmental studies, agriculture and other technical disciplines.
Its 2026 official matriculation speech highlighted the technical composition of its academic programmes, reporting that 66 of its HND programmes and options were technical in areas including engineering, applied sciences, environmental studies and agriculture.
What the Transition Means for Students
The eventual transition to university status could broaden the academic pathways available at the institution, particularly as the planned faculties introduce university-level programmes across technology, sciences, social sciences, agriculture, computing, management and visual arts.
However, prospective students should distinguish between programmes currently available under the institution’s final polytechnic admission cycle and programmes that may be introduced after university-level approvals are completed.
The institution’s official 2026/2027 admission information confirms that it is still conducting ND and HND admissions during the transition period.
Students and prospective applicants should therefore rely on official FUTI announcements and relevant regulatory information when determining which degree programmes have received approval and when applications will open.
A Broader Institutional Transformation
The planned university take-off represents a broader transformation of the Ilaro institution beyond a change in nomenclature.
In addition to the expansion of academic programmes and student population, the institution has reported developments in research, infrastructure, staffing and specialised academic schools.
The institution has also secured research-related support, including Institutional Based Research and National Research Fund grants, according to reports on its four-year development.
The university transition is therefore taking place against the background of an institution that has already expanded significantly in size and academic activity.
At the same time, the transition will bring higher expectations regarding academic standards, research capacity, governance, facilities and regulatory compliance.
What Happens Next
FUTI is expected to continue preparations for NUC verification while completing its Academic Brief and institutional Master Plan.
The institution is targeting the 2027/2028 academic session as the start-off period for university education, according to the Rector. However, the commencement remains tied to the completion of the necessary transition and regulatory processes.
For prospective students, one of the most important developments to watch will be the formal approval and publication of university programmes and admission requirements.
Until those processes are completed, claims about specific new degree programmes or an immediate commencement of university admissions should be treated cautiously.
The transition from Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, to Federal University of Technology, Ilaro, is therefore progressing, but its full academic implementation remains a process rather than an already completed change.
Why It Matters
The proposed transition could further strengthen Ogun State’s higher-education and technology ecosystem by expanding access to university-level education in engineering, computing, sciences, agriculture, environmental technology and other fields.
For Nigeria’s technical education system, the development also illustrates how established polytechnic institutions can evolve their academic structures while retaining their practical and technology-focused foundations.
The key milestone ahead is the completion of the regulatory and academic requirements necessary for FUTI to begin university education under the planned 2027/2028 academic session.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro/Federal University of Technology, Ilaro — 2026 Rector’s Matriculation Speech.
- Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro — 2026/2027 Admissions Advertisement.
- Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro official website and institutional updates.
- News Extra — report on FUTI’s four-year development and 2027/2028 university target.
- Salient Times — report on FUTI’s transition and planned 2027/2028 take-off.
- Trust Radio — report on FUTI’s transition, NUC verification and planned faculties.
