THE TEXT OF INAUGURAL SPEECH OF PROFESSOR FARUK ADAMU KUTA THE 8TH VICE-CHANCELLOR, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA ON DECEMBER 2ND, 2022 AT THE DR. SULEIMAN KUMO CONVOCATION SQUARE, MAIN CAMPUS, GIDAN KWANO
First, let me appreciate our Creator (Allah), the Beneficient, the Merciful who gives life and sustains it.
I wish to appreciate members of Senate, other staff, students and other stakeholders of the University for being supportive from the beginning of the process to the point of announcement of my appointment as Vice-Chancellor. Thank you so much.
Federal University of Technology, Minna has witnessed tremendous growth and development especially in the last five years. Today, the university has grown with staff strength of 2,385 and student population of 26,051. Almost all our academic programmes have full accreditation status.
The focus of my administration will be to consolidate on gains of the previous administrations. We shall work hard to ensure that Federal University of Technology, Minna is globally recognized along the path of academic excellence, progress and positive development. I promise to be guided by the statutes of the University and laws of the country, global best practices. We shall work hard towards the realization of the University objectives.
Inadequate funding has been a major challenge not only to Universities but almost all sectors of governance. We shall do everything humanly possible within the ambit of the laws and common sense towards improving the internally generated revenue to augment whatever Government is providing us, we shall pursue with vigour towards blocking of financial leakages and wastages.
We shall constantly be in touch with our alumni, friends and stakeholders of the University for help in critical areas. Inspite of our almost 40years existence as a university, we are only able to accommodate just 3,304 students out of 26,051. No doubt, it is a major challenge to us which requires urgent solution given the security and social challenges associated with vast majority of our students living off campus.
Accordingly, I am using this moment to appeal to our alumni, friends and other stakeholders that have the means to please come to our aid through Public-Private-Partnership arrangement to provide hostel accommodation for our students. Our doors are open to genuine private investors for such ventures.
My administration will do everything possible to foster peaceful co-existence among staff, students and between the University and the host community. Let me pledge to be fair and just to all.
I wish to sincerely appreciate the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Bala for his contribution to the tremendous growth and development of the University in the last five years. I wish to congratulate and thank this academic giant and University administrator per excellence for his outstanding performance.
I have learnt a lot from him and I thank him for the mutual love, respect and trust. No doubt, we shall miss him. I hope we can always call on him in future for his wise counsel when the need arises.
I want to thank many who have found time to be with us for this very important event, we are grateful. I specially want to appreciate members of the Press for covering this event despite several challenges. Thank you all and may Allah grant you journey mercy back to your respective destination. God bless you all.
Professor Faruk Adamu Kuta
Vice-Chancellor