The Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, recently took another leap forward in the quest by African countries for specialized technical knowhow in space technology when its management team led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Regional Centre for Space Sciences and Technology Education in English (ARCSSTE-E) an affiliate of the United Nations.
Under the terms of the agreement, FUTA, through its Centre for Space Research and Application (CESRA) will run a postgraduate programme leading to the award of Masters Degree in Space studies and related fields for ARCSSTE-E sponsored students.
Welcoming the ARCSSTE-E team, the Director, CESRA, Professor Moses Ajewole said the essence of the meeting was to sign the MoU that would invest FUTA-CESRA with the mandate to undertake the masters’ programme under the aegis of ARCSSTE-E. This, according to him was a fall out of a meeting held between
ARCSSTE-E, CESRA and the School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS) for a proposal to start the masters’ programme. According to him, the programme has been advertised and response gotten from prospective candidates.
Addressing the gathering, ARCSSTE-E’s Executive Director and team leader, Professor Joseph Akinyede expressed his delight in the signing of the MoU. He said “This is an epoch making event because it is the first time ARCSSTE-E is advancing into the Masters programme to develop indigenous capacity building. FUTA has potential for greatness and it is being actualized and by your antecedents we know you will deliver to our satisfaction ,and we are proud to be part of FUTA. ARCSSTE-E is linked to the International Centre in the United Nation in Vienna and today’s event is already part of the reports we are sending to the headquarters. I congratulate FUTA management for attaining this great feat”.
Professor Daramola on his part described the event as epochal. Said he, “Today is remarkable because CESRA is upgrading its relationship with ARCSSTE-E to train postgraduate candidates leading to the award of Masters Degree. This , no doubt, will increase the number of courses we offer here. This situates very well with our vision in FUTA to move beyond the best University of Technology in Nigeria to a renowned University continentally and globally. Also, it is a way to broaden our scope for cutting-edge research activities. With
this new development, we believe that our contributions to the enhancement of space technology know how for the development of our country and continent will become more self evident”. Corroborating the Vice-Chancellor, the Chairman of CESRA Board, Professor Daniel Adefolalu said “today is a day of history. This development has taken FUTA beyond the local market place. FUTA will soon become one of the best Universities globally and I am sure CESRA too will go places”.
The Deputy Director, ARCSSTE-E, Mrs. Lami Ali-Fadiora, spoke glowingly about the programme. She said, “FUTA is great. We did not stand on a wrong footing. When we started, we had fears, but today, the story has changed. We know from the onset that FUTA will definitely be a different place. We never forgot nor despised the days of little beginning. We know the dream will prosper and we are happy it did not die”.
