For the fourth consecutive year, the Faculty of Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), has produced the institution’s overall best graduating student — a feat that underscores the faculty’s tradition of discipline, innovation, and academic excellence.
At the 2025 Pre-Convocation Press Briefing held on Friday, November 7, in the T.I. Francis Hall, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Adenike Oladiji announced Mr. Akindunbi Aduragbemi Isaac, a Civil Engineering graduate, as the Valedictorian and Overall Best Graduating Student for the 2024/2025 academic session. Akindunbi distinguished himself with an outstanding Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.98, emerging as the star of the university’s 36th Convocation Ceremony, scheduled for Friday, November 14, at the Obafemi Awolowo Auditorium.
Beyond producing the overall best graduating student, the Department of Civil Engineering also produced an impressive 28 First-Class graduates this session, further cementing its reputation as a cradle of academic excellence. His achievement brought joy not only to the Department of Civil Engineering but also to the entire School of Infrastructure, Minerals and Manufacturing Engineering (SIMME), one of the two new schools created from the former School of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SEET) in 2024.
According to statistics of graduate output by class of degree for first degrees, as revealed by the Vice-Chancellor, SIMME produced 82 First-Class graduates, while SESE produced 19, totaling 101 First-Class graduates from the two engineering schools — accounting for nearly half of the 240 First-Class Honours awarded by the university this session. This remarkable performance underscores the collective strength and competitive culture of FUTA’s engineering faculties.
A Tradition of Excellence
FUTA’s Faculty of Engineering has built a remarkable legacy of producing the university’s best graduates in recent years.
In the 2021/2022 academic session, Oluwanifemi Favour Olajuyigbe of Electrical and Electronics Engineering emerged valedictorian with a CGPA of 4.93. The following year, two students — Ifeoluwa Faith Faromika (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) and Johnbull Anuoluwapo Vitowanu (Industrial and Production Engineering) — shared the honour, each graduating with a CGPA of 4.96.
In 2023/2024, Oluwasegun Joshua Ajakaye of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering took the top honour with a CGPA of 4.95. With Akindunbi’s 2025 triumph, the Faculty of Engineering has now produced four consecutive valedictorians, two of whom were from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
Engineering Minds, Building Futures
Akindunbi, described by colleagues as diligent and focused, blends academic rigour with a passion for innovation. His solid background in structural design and analysis, coupled with proficiency in software such as AutoCAD, PROTA Structure, Tekla Structural Designer, and Civil 3D, reflects his readiness for the modern engineering world.
True to his name, Aduragbemi — meaning “prayer favoured me” — his journey symbolises perseverance, faith, and dedication. His story captures the resilience and determination that have become hallmarks of FUTA’s engineering community.
What Fuels FUTA’s Consistency
For many alumni, the Faculty of Engineering’s success story is no accident.
Paul Oluwasona, a First-Class Civil Engineering graduate (Class of 2022) and now a structural engineer, attributes the faculty’s record of excellence to its culture of competition, mentorship, and peer motivation.
“There’s a healthy sense of competition among students,” he said. “We push one another to excel, creating a ripple effect that continues year after year. Most of the best graduating students belong to close-knit circles of friends who inspire one another to do more, academically and otherwise.”
He also highlighted the faculty’s mentoring system.
“Having lecturers and senior colleagues who genuinely care about students’ growth makes a huge difference. The culture of guidance and accountability within the faculty is a key driver of the consistent results we’re seeing,” he added.
Another alumnus, Akinrodoye Michael, a graduate of Industrial and Production Engineering and Chief Executive Officer of Luxe Rugs, a manufacturer of customised handmade rugs, shares a similar view:
“The reasons for the faculty’s excellent performance are not far-fetched. It reflects the dedication of our lecturers who stretch us academically and ignite our thirst for knowledge and excellence. Engineering students receive almost half of the awards given annually to members of the FUTA community. The strong reading culture and collaboration among students also contribute greatly to this success.”
A University Steeped in Legacy
Established in 1981 during the administration of President Shehu Shagari, FUTA is one of Nigeria’s pioneering specialised universities of technology. The institution began operations from a modest two-storey building at No. 58, Oyemekun Road, Akure, before relocating in 1986 to the site of the former Federal Polytechnic, now in Ado-Ekiti.
Under its pioneering Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Theodore Idibiye Francis, a distinguished medical scholar, FUTA laid the foundation for what has become a model for technological universities in Nigeria. From three schools in 1982, the university has grown to ten, including the School of Postgraduate Studies, with campuses at Obanla and Ibule.
The schools include the School of Computing (SOC), College of Health Sciences (CHS), School of Environmental Technology (SET), School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT), School of Electrical Systems Engineering (SESE), School of Infrastructure, Minerals and Manufacturing Engineering (SIMME), School of Logistics and Innovation Technology (SLIT), School of Physical Sciences (SPS), School of Life Sciences (SLS), and School of Earth and Mineral Sciences (SEMS).
Engineering for the Future
FUTA’s Faculty of Engineering, now operating under SESE and SIMME, continues to align its curriculum with global standards and industry needs. Departments under SIMME include Civil and Environmental Engineering, Industrial and Production Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and Mining Engineering.
SESE, on the other hand, comprises Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, and Mechatronics Engineering.
According to the university, the restructuring aims to sharpen focus areas, encourage interdisciplinary research, and strengthen innovation across technological frontiers.
The FUTA Vision
True to its vision of becoming a world-class university of technology and a centre of excellence in training, research, and service delivery, FUTA continues to produce graduates who embody its mission — to promote technological advancement and foster self-reliant, development-driven innovation.
As the university celebrates its 36th Convocation, one thing remains clear: the Faculty of Engineering has set a standard of sustained excellence, shaping not only its students but also the future of technological advancement in Nigeria.
