The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti (FUTES-IYIN), Professor Gbenga Aribisala, has declared that his administration is deliberately investing in staff capacity development as a strategic pathway to building a world-class workforce capable of positioning the university among globally competitive institutions.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the two-day Staff Development Programme themed "Academic Culture in a 21st Century University", the Vice-Chancellor said the institution would continue to prioritise continuous learning, professional development and institutional excellence.

Aribisala, who lamented the poor training culture in many public institutions, recalled that much of the knowledge that shaped his early academic career came through personal commitment and self-development rather than structured institutional training. 

"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.

According to him, one of the cardinal visions of his administration is to build the right workforce that will drive the university's growth and establish it as a globally recognised institution.

He noted that within a period of less than two months, the university had successfully organised four major capacity-building programmes, including workshops on quality assurance, grant writing, security personnel development and the just-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 the university as one already making remarkable progress despite its young age, stressing that every policy and programme of the management was carefully designed to position the institution for global relevance.

He urged members of staff to translate the knowledge acquired during the training into improved service delivery, professionalism and commitment to institutional growth.

According to him, 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. To whom much is given, much more is expected," he charged.

The two-day programme, organised by the Directorate of Advancement and Linkages, featured presentations by seasoned administrators and academics on critical aspects of university administration and academic culture.

Among the resource persons were the Dean of Students' Affairs, Professor Olu Omotoso, who spoke on fostering healthy staff-student relationships; the University Librarian, Professor Isaac Busayo, who delivered a session on modern library services and information resources; and the Director of Academic Planning, Professor Peter Folorunso, who enlightened participants on the strategic role of academic planning in maintaining quality assurance, programme accreditation and institutional development.

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

Earlier on the opening day, participants also benefitted from insightful sessions by Professor Emmanuel Akintayo, Dean, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, FUTES-IYIN; Professor Philip Oguntunde, Vice-Chancellor, Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State; Professor Sesan Ayodeji, Federal University of Technology, Akure; Mr. Kayode Akindele, Acting Registrar, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti; and Mr. Adekunle Alabi, Deputy Bursar, Federal University of Technology, Akure, whose presentations addressed critical issues bordering on academic excellence, leadership, professional ethics and institutional development.

The programme drew teaching and non-teaching staff from across the university and formed part of the management's sustained efforts to build a productive workforce capable of driving excellence, innovation and sustainable institutional growth.