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By Chidi Nkwopara
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
OWERRI—THE internally generated revenue of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO),rose from N29,232,467.24 in 2000 to N352,727,655.42 in 2004, even as the institution’s management says it has executed no fewer than 25 capital projects within the same period under review. The Vice Chancellor (VC) of FUTO, Professor Jude Ejike Njoku, who disclosed this in his quadrennial address to the University community titled “four years in pursuit of a vision for the Federal University of Technology, Owerri”, also said that his administration’s ability to provide more infrastructure and basic facilities for staff and students has been sustained by impressive improvements in the internal revenue generation over the last four years.
“The University’s internally generated revenue has grown from N29,232,467.24 in 2000, to N352,727,655.42in 2004. The increases have come primarily from other charges introduced recently as part of efforts to enhance the University internal revenue generation capabilities”, Professor Njoku explained. Giving a run-down of the 25 capital projects executed by the institution within the last four years, Njoku said 12 have been completed and taken over, while the remaining 13 are at various stages of completion.”Out of the 25 projects involved, 11 are being executed with internally generated revenue. For the first time in the history of this University, major capital projects such as the Science Laboratory Technology Training Programme (SLTTP) building, Project Management Technology (PMT) building, the Endowment Fund Lecture Hall, the Sandwich building and the Convocation Square among others, have been undertaken with internally generated revenue”, FUTO-VC said.
While saying that a very sizeable amount has been approved by the federal government for capital projects in the current fiscal year, Professor Njoku, however, lamented that his institution has not been able to access any funds because of the cumbersome, complex and purely unfamiliar procedures now adopted by the government’s due process team. “Under the due process arrangement, the Governing Council or Residence Due Process Team can approve projects up to N20 million following due process.
Above this, and not exceeding N50 million, recommendations are forwarded by the Council, to the Ministerial Tenders Board. For any project above N50 million, Council recommends to the Federal Executive Council through the National Universities Commission and the Minister of Education”, Njoku said.On student enrollment, the VC disclosed that the various programmes mounted by the University have grown considerably over the period under review.
“From a population of 8,529 in 2000, the undergraduate student population now stands at 18,002, while the post graduate student population of 845 in 2000 has now risen to 1,258, giving a grand total of 19,260, as the entire student population in 2003/2004 academic year”, FUTO-VC said.Continuing, Professor Njoku said that in order to match student’s enrollment with increase in academic staff strength, the University has also dramatically increased its academic staff strength in the last four years, adding that “from an academic staff strength of 261 in 2000, the number has now grown to 498 in 2004, showing an increase of over 90 per cent”.
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