By Aduragbemi Oke
The Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan (FCAIB), and Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora (OYSCATECH), are set to commence affiliate degree programmes with the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) starting from the 2025/2026 academic session.
This milestone follows a series of strategic engagements between FUNAAB and the two institutions, culminating in a high-level meeting chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olukayode Akinyemi. Prof. Akinyemi, who received the delegations from FCAIB and OYSCATECH, lauded the leadership of FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, for his visionary commitment to expanding access to quality agricultural education through institutional partnerships.
Representing the Provost of FCAIB, Prof. Jonathan Atungwu, was Dr. Elizabeth Augustus, Director of the External Degree Programmes. Also present was the Rector of OYSCATECH, Prof. Akinola Akinlabi. Prof. Akinyemi charged both leaders to begin mobilising and sensitising prospective students—especially final-year students—on the opportunities presented by the new degree programmes.
The programmes recently scaled a major regulatory hurdle after undergoing a successful resource verification exercise by the National Universities Commission (NUC), setting the stage for detailed planning sessions involving FUNAAB’s Management, departmental heads, and faculty development workshops held in both Ibadan and Igboora.
During the meeting, Prof. Akinyemi outlined critical components necessary for a smooth take-off, including admission procedures, financial frameworks, portal operations, and academic implementation strategies. He was joined by the Acting Director of FUNAAB’s Information and Communication Technology Resource Centre (ICTREC), Mr. Temitope Soretire, who provided a demonstration of the student registration process via the university’s portal.
According to Soretire, prospective students are expected to initiate a change of institution to FUNAAB on the JAMB portal. The affiliate institutions will then upload the candidates’ details, after which eligible applicants will submit their credentials, be shortlisted, receive provisional admission offers, and proceed to pay their acceptance and school fees before completing course registration.
Chairperson of FUNAAB’s Admissions Committee, Prof. Comfort Sodiya, also addressed the gathering, highlighting the importance of adherence to JAMB admission guidelines. She stressed that applicants must present valid O’level results and meet the subject combination requirements for their chosen programmes.
Providing academic assurance, Prof. Emmanuel Fakoya, Dean of the College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD), confirmed that the proposed curricula from both institutions have been reviewed, approved by the FUNAAB Senate, and endorsed by the NUC. He added that teaching would be handled by qualified faculty from the affiliate institutions.
To ensure seamless academic operations, Prof. Akinyemi emphasized the need for all participating institutions to align with a unified academic calendar, thereby promoting synergy and maintaining the university’s standard of academic excellence.
With preparations nearing completion, the new affiliate degree programmes signal a transformative step in broadening access to tertiary agricultural education in Nigeria
