FUTA Restructures Engineering Faculty, Establishes Two New Schools and Appoints Pioneer Deans

The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has announced the restructuring of its School of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SEET), dividing it into two distinct schools to meet the growing demands of the global engineering landscape. The newly created schools are the School of Infrastructural, Minerals, and Manufacturing Engineering (SIMME) and the School of Electrical Systems Engineering (SESE).

This strategic division is aimed at offering more specialized training and fostering innovation in line with global best practices in engineering education.

The university also appointed pioneer leaders for the two new schools. Professor Peter Kayode Oke has been named the Dean of the School of Infrastructural, Minerals, and Manufacturing Engineering, while Professor Adegoke Oladipo Melodi has been appointed Acting Dean of the School of Electrical Systems Engineering.

The decision to restructure was approved by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, following the recommendation of the Board of Studies of the former School of Engineering. The announcement was communicated by the Registrar, Mr. Charles Adeleye, in an internal memo. According to the Vice Chancellor, the restructuring is aimed at fostering specialized research, enhancing teaching, and providing hands-on engineering education to prepare students for industry needs.

Profiles of Pioneer Deans

Professor Peter Kayode Oke, an expert in Mechanical Engineering, has had a distinguished academic career. Born in Are-Ekiti, Ekiti State, in 1971, he graduated as the best student of his set at Ondo State University of Ado-Ekiti (now Ekiti State University) in 1995. He later earned his Master's and PhD degrees from FUTA, completing them in 2000 and 2009, respectively. A member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Professor Oke has taught over 30 courses and supervised numerous postgraduate students.

Professor Adegoke Oladipo Melodi, born in Lagos in 1971, is a renowned scholar in Electrical Engineering. He holds a Master's degree from Kirovograd National Technical University in Ukraine and a PhD in Power Systems Engineering from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute. Since joining FUTA as an Assistant Lecturer in 2000, Professor Melodi has published over 50 research articles and supervised multiple postgraduate students. He was recognized with the Best Researcher Award at FUTA in 2018.

The establishment of SIMME and SESE marks a significant milestone in FUTA's ongoing efforts to elevate its engineering programmes and produce graduates with specialized skills that are in high demand.