FUTES-IYIN Investing in Staff Development to Build Globally Competitive Workforce — VC

The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti (FUTES-IYIN), Professor Gbenga Aribisala, has reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to developing a highly skilled workforce capable of positioning the university among globally competitive institutions.

Professor Aribisala stated this during the closing ceremony of a two-day Staff Development Programme themed “Academic Culture in a 21st Century University,” where he emphasised that continuous learning, professional development, and capacity building remain central to his administration’s vision.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, the university is deliberately investing in staff development because a well-trained workforce is critical to achieving institutional excellence and global recognition.

He expressed concern over the poor culture of structured training in many public institutions, recalling that much of the knowledge that shaped his early academic career was acquired through personal efforts and self-development rather than organised institutional programmes.

“Everything I was taught during my early days as a university staff was largely self-taught and achieved through personal efforts. I do not want a replica of that at FUTES-IYIN,” he said.

Professor Aribisala noted that building the right workforce remains one of the major priorities of his administration, adding that the university had organised four major capacity-building programmes within less than two months.

The programmes included workshops on quality assurance, grant writing, security personnel development, and the recently concluded staff development programme.

“Lack of training stalls development. That has always been a major concern to me, and we are determined to bridge every knowledge gap through regular capacity-building initiatives,” he stated.

The Vice-Chancellor described FUTES-IYIN as a young institution making significant progress, noting that its policies and programmes are strategically designed to establish the university as a globally relevant centre of learning and innovation.

He charged staff members to apply the knowledge gained from the training towards improved service delivery, professionalism, and commitment to the growth of the institution.

“Training comes with responsibility. An untrained person can still be pardoned, but a trained person has no excuse. We expect every member of staff to put into practice all that has been learnt during this programme,” he said.

The two-day programme, organised by the Directorate of Advancement and Linkages, featured presentations from experienced academics and university administrators on key aspects of academic culture, administration, ethics, quality assurance, and institutional development.

The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Professor Olu Omotoso, delivered a session on promoting healthy staff-student relationships, while the University Librarian, Professor Isaac Busayo, spoke on modern library services and information resources. The Director of Academic Planning, Professor Peter Folorunso, addressed participants on the importance of academic planning in quality assurance, programme accreditation, and institutional growth.

Other facilitators included the Registrar, Mr. Oluwole Dada, who spoke on university culture, ethics, and regulations; the Bursar, Mrs. Ajayi Adeniyi Rachael, who discussed financial operations and accountability; the Director of Information and Communication Technology, Engr. Timothy Akinfenwa, who highlighted ICT-driven service delivery; the Chief Internal Auditor, Mr. Adebayo Kehinde, who focused on internal financial controls; and the Head of the University Medical Centre, Dr. Ifeoluwa Adeyemi, who educated participants on workplace wellness and healthy living.

The opening day of the programme also featured presentations from Professor Emmanuel Akintayo, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, FUTES-IYIN; Professor Philip Oguntunde, Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin; Professor Sesan Ayodeji of the Federal University of Technology, Akure; Mr. Kayode Akindele, Acting Registrar of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti; and Mr. Adekunle Alabi, Deputy Bursar of the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

The training programme, which attracted teaching and non-teaching staff across the university, formed part of FUTES-IYIN’s broader strategy to strengthen institutional capacity, promote innovation, and build a workforce capable of driving sustainable growth and academic excellence.