The Federal University Lokoja (FUL) has secured a ₦3 billion grant from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to establish a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Cyber Sciences.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, disclosed this on Monday, November 9, 2026, during a press briefing held ahead of the institution’s 10th convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday at the main campus in Felele, Lokoja.
Professor Ibileye, who assumed office in February 2026, stated that the grant will finance advanced technological research, innovation, and practical capacity building, aligning with the administration’s strategic drive to position the university as a technology-driven hub.
He disclosed that the university has launched 14 new degree programs for the 2026/2027 academic session—including Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Science, Software Engineering, and Criminology and Security Studies—following National Universities Commission (NUC) approvals.
Providing details on the upcoming convocation, themed *”Fifteen Years, Ten Convocations: Consolidating Excellence, Building Partnerships and Shaping the Future,”* the Vice-Chancellor announced that 5,638 students will graduate, comprising 4,828 first-degree, 182 diploma, and 628 postgraduate candidates.
He added that honorary doctorate degrees will be conferred on industrialist Dahiru Mangal, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, and veteran journalist Babajide Kolade-Otitoju during the ceremony.
Highlighting additional institutional funding and infrastructure projects, Ibileye listed several TETFund intervention disbursements, including ₦700 million and ₦400 million allocations for classroom and laboratory expansion, ₦335 million for NEEDS Assessment initiatives, and ₦158.9 million for academic staff training.
He further noted that 3,296 students of the institution have benefited from over ₦387 million disbursed under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme, while private sector partnerships—including BUA Group’s laboratory project and a ₦3 billion public-private hostel venture—are underway to address campus accommodation and infrastructural deficits.
