Nigeria Content Online

The Federal
University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Alumni Association has donated a
set of laboratory equipment worth N10 million to the institution, to
aid teaching, learning and research.

The research
equipment, a total of 47, included: cooled incubator, RMS Lauda, Vacuum
Drying Oven, Dehumidifier and over head projector that were acquired
free of charge from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA) Ibadan, where there are some old students of the institution.

While presenting
the equipment to the school, the National President of the Association,
Gbenga Gbarada, said the association was geared up to give back to the
institution that had trained them to reach limelight.

“It all started in
Lagos when we came together and asked ourselves what should we do for
our school, FUTA–because we believed we must assist the institution
that made us what we are today–that we came about the idea of these
equipment,” he said.

Mr Gbarada, who
commended the management of the institution for being endowed with good
human resources, said “We have absolute confidence in the leadership of
FUTA to use the equipment to bring up more intellectuals.” He assured
that the association would not stop assisting the university, recalling
that last year it organised a N4.5 billion capital launch for the
school and also organised a seminar for the final year students.

Grateful school

“Last year, the
association organised a N4.5 billion capital launch for the school and
this is one of the follow ups. We are still looking for other ways we
can assist the school,” he said. “It may be in agriculture because this
is a university where agriculture is fully on ground; we are trying to
get companies that can give us tractors and farm implement for the use
of the school.

“Also, last year,
we organised an empowerment summit for the final year students of this
school to enable them stand on their own after graduation so that they
will be employers of labour and not employees of labour. These are some
of the ways by which the association is helping the university.

The Vice Chancellor
of the institution, Bisi Balogun, said the association has done
wonderfully well. He said the gesture was beneficial, especially when
the university system had declined owing to under-funding.

“What we have here will go a long way in enhancing the research
capacity of the lecturers, research capacity of our doctorate students,
research capacity of our undergraduate students. We are grateful about
this,” he said