Brief History of the Department

Federal University Otuoke (FUO), is one of nine new Federal Universities established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in February 2011 to give more Nigerians access to tertiary education that can enable them to bring positive changes to society. The university started with 282 pioneer students at the undergraduate level. Then, there were only two Faculties, namely Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Faculty of Science. The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences had two Departments and six programs, and that of Science had three Departments and six programs.

The idea of commencing the Faculty of Engineering and Technology was muted early 2012 and graduates of Engineering/Technical manpower was sought to prepare the foundation. Prof. Aluko, the then pioneer VC, started the process of establishing two new Faculties (Engineering/Technology and Business Management Sciences) in September 2014 to begin undergraduate degree studies. The aspiration for the Faculty of Engineering and Technology was to promote world-class and cutting-edge research in Energy & Environmental Science, Engineering and Technology, and Marine Science considering that FUO is located in the heart of the oil-rich Niger-Delta Region of Bayelsa State with peculiar ecological dynamics. Consequently, the Pioneer Engineering Team proposed seven departments to run in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology thus: Agricultural & Bio-Resources Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Marine & Maritime Engineering, Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, and Petroleum & Gas Engineering. Out of these departments proposed, Agricultural & Bio-Resources Engineering, and Marine & Maritime Engineering were dropped in favor of the following six (6) programs, namely, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering and Petroleum & Gas Engineering during the Prof. Aluko lead administration. In February 2016, FUO Senate approved the appointment of two Acting HODs, Dr. O. D. Itugha and Dr. Sepribo Lawson-Jack for Civil & Environmental Engineering and Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering respectively with a Dean in the Faculty for the 2016/17 Academic Session when the first batch (pioneer) students were admitted under a rigorous selection process. However, NUC endorsed FUO to run a Faculty of Engineering (FENG) with Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering (EEE), Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering and Petroleum & Gas Engineering programs/departments. Following this approval, the accepted 6 programs were merged to form three (3) departments in October 2016 namely: Civil Engineering and Electrical/Electronic Engineering (with Dr. O. D. Itugha retained as Acting HOD), Chemical Engineering and Petroleum/Gas Engineering, and Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering by the Prof. Seth Accra Jaja lead administration.

A total of sixty-six (66) students were admitted to start the Electrical/Electronic Engineering undergraduate degree program in the 2016/17 academic session. The mission is to provide state-of-the-art resources that would contribute towards producing competent and disciplined Electrical/Electronic Engineers to achieve excellence in the teaching-learning, research and development activities towards contributing to nation building, energy efficiency needs and progress of humanity.

In February 2021 of the 2020/21 academic session, Electrical/Electronic Engineering became completely separated to run as a full department with Engr. Emeritus Prof. S. A. Adekola (FAS) as the substantive HOD appointed by Prof. T. C. Adias, who assumed duty as the third VC of FUO, in anticipation for the imminent NUC accreditation exercise in April 2021. At this time the Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering has evolved in capacity to 315 students and already at the 400L with improved student to staff ratio of 1:14.

The Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering was proposed to consist of seven (7) Laboratories including Electrical Measurement Lab, Electrical Traction Lab, Electrical Engineering Lab, Control System Lab, Electrical Machine Lab, Electrical Work Shop Practice, and Electronics & Microprocessor Lab.

In the area of Awards and Prizes, this department has come out tops in the Faculty of Engineering having produced the best CGPA’s and received the VC awards in the 2017/18 and 2018/2019 academic sessions. During the 2018/2019 academic session, three of our students were part of those who received the Dean of FENG maiden cash awards. In addition, the results of the 2018/19 academic session show that three of the CVE students who have resumed at the 400, 300 and 200 levels in the 2019/2020 session had CGPAs of 4.81 (highest CGPA in FENG), 4.61 and 4.73 respectively. Two 400L and three 200L EEE students also had CGPAs of 4.64 and 4.62, and 4.88, 4.69 and 4.66 respectively.

Staff list in the Department

S/No.

Name

Appointment

Area of Specialization

1

Engr (Dr) Isaac O. Adewale

Tenure

Communication

2

Engr Watson N. Aguiyi

Tenure

Control & Instrumentation

3

Engr Emmanuel A. Ukwuoma

Tenure

Electrical Power & Machine

4

Engr Jonathan A. Emmanuel

Tenure

Electronic & Control

5

Engr David A. Adeniyi

Tenure

Electrical Power & Machine

6

Engr Precious A. Dinichi

Tenure

Electronic & Communication

7

Mr Jamilu Haruna

Tenure

Electrical & Electronic Engineering

8

Mr Ibrahim A. Kacallu

Tenure

Electrical & Electronic Engineering

9

Mr Aliyu Bashari

Tenure

Electrical & Electronic Engineering

10

Emeritus Prof. Sulaiman A. Adekola

Contract

Antennas/Electromagnetic Theory and Communications

11

Prof. Antony I. Ogbonnaya

Contract

Electrical Power & Machines

12

Engr (Dr.) Peter O. Ohiero

Sabatical

Electrical Power, Machines & Energy Conversion Systems

13

Prof. Ephraim N.C. Okafor

Adjunct

Electrical Power & Machine

14

Prof. (Mrs) Eucharia  A. Ifenyiwa

Adjunct

Electronic & Computer Engineering

15

Prof. Donatus E. Bassey

Adjunct

Electronic & Communication

16

Engr (Dr) David Ebregbe

Adjunct

Electronics and Communication

17

Engr (Dr) Benjamin A. Kelvin

Adjunct

Electronic Computing and Communication Systems