By joshua ABDULRAHMAN ASIPITA SALAWU: THE VISIONARY TURNING CUSTECH OSARA INTO A MECCA FOR RESEARCHERS AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
By Abu Micheal
The Vice-Chancellor of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Engr. Prof. Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu, FNSE, has never hidden his passion for ensuring that the institution remains world class. Since his assumption of office, he has proven to be an academic per excellence and an administrator who combines scholarly depth with pragmatic leadership, the very qualities of an efficient and effective Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Salawu leads with vision, prudence, and an uncompromising commitment to standards. He is a researcher himself, having delivered the 133rd inaugural lecture at the Federal University of Technology, Minna titled “Nature to Nature: The Miracle of Materials Longevity.” In that lecture he explored the durability and lifecycle of engineering materials and demonstrated how scientific innovation can enhance sustainability through improved performance and recycling. The lecture was widely described as intellectually stimulating, and the Committee of Friends, Ogaminana hailed it as a milestone that reflects his unwavering commitment to academic excellence and nation-building. That scholarly pedigree is exactly what has made CUSTECH Osara attractive to academics who want to ply their trade in an environment where research is taken seriously and supported.
Under his stewardship, the university has transformed from a fledgling institution to a destination that now attracts national attention. Within five years of establishment, CUSTECH has grown to eight faculties, one college, and 44 academic departments serving more than 5,000 students. The National Universities Commission has granted full accreditation to all programmes tendered, from Biochemistry, Computer Science and Cyber Security to Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Mining, Electrical and Electronics Engineering. In April 2026 six engineering programmes received full accreditation, while Applied Geophysics and Geology also secured five-year accreditation. Prof. Salawu described these feats as evidence of the commitment of staff and students and as proof that the university is delivering education that prepares graduates for the future.
It is this culture of quality that has made CUSTECH a mecca for researchers and a place where academics want to ply their trade. The campus now hosts the Barefoot Renewable Energy College, commissioned by Vice-President Kashim Shettima on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on August 4, 2026. At the event, Prof. Salawu said the Renewed Hope Agenda was already impacting education, infrastructure and research at CUSTECH, and noted that NELFUND had enabled students facing financial difficulties to continue their studies while the Renewed Hope Student Housing Initiative was delivering a female hostel. He added that the Barefoot College would provide training in solar photovoltaic installation, mini-grid development and other clean energy technologies, positioning the university as a hub for practical skills, employment and entrepreneurship.
The institution has also drawn high-profile visitors whose public commendations have further raised its profile. Former Governor of Kogi State, Alh. Yahaya Bello, was acknowledged by the Vice Chancellor for his visionary efforts in establishing CUSTECH as a hub for academic excellence. Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo has also been praised by Prof. Salawu for engaging top experts to install the campus-wide high-tech surveillance system and for his government’s commitment to security in educational institutions. During the installation and handover, Prof. Salawu declared CUSTECH Osara one of the safest universities in Nigeria, assuring parents, students and staff of a secure and conducive environment for learning and research.
Governor Ododo’s admiration was made even more concrete at the combined maiden convocation for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025. After 266 students graduated with 31 earning First Class, the Governor announced automatic employment for the best graduating student from each faculty, saying “their hard work deserves recognition.”
The Chancellor, HRH Anthony Ehizojie Abumere II, also commended the state government’s support and charged graduates to embrace innovation and responsible citizenship.
The true measure of a university, however, is in the quality of graduates it produces, and CUSTECH is already making its mark. The 266 graduands from the maiden convocation have been described by the university management as products of rigorous training, discipline and innovation. With 11.65 percent bagging First Class and more than half finishing with Second Class Upper, the academic pedigree is clear.
Reports from NYSC orientation camps and early employers indicate that CUSTECH graduates are distinguishing themselves with sound technical knowledge, problem-solving skills and a strong work ethic. Camp officials have noted their discipline, adaptability and leadership in platoons and community development service groups, while industry partners who have engaged the pioneer set speak of graduates who hit the ground running in engineering workshops, laboratories, ICT firms and research centres.
Their performance is already reflecting the institution’s emphasis on practical training, innovation and character.
The Committee of Friends, Ogaminana, in a congratulatory message signed by its President, Alhaji Suleiman Isah Asuku, and Secretary, Hon. Musa Ohiani, lauded Prof. Asipita for what they described as a milestone achievement in his academic career. They noted that his contribution to knowledge and service to humanity reflects unwavering commitment to academic excellence and nation-building, and expressed confidence that his work would continue to influence policy formulation and mentor future professionals.
Prof. Salawu has further pushed innovation to the front burner. He disclosed that the five-year-old university has developed an AI word translator into Igala, Ebira and Yoruba languages, and that drones built at the institution can be deployed for practical use. Applications have been forwarded to NUC for new programmes in Medicine, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Law, Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering, with a teaching hospital facility already operational for clinical training.
Through early challenges, Prof. Salawu has remained steady, insisting that CUSTECH must be a place where academics find the freedom to research, the infrastructure to innovate, and the support to mentor the next generation.
Confluence University of Science and Technology could not have come at a better time for Kogi State and for Nigeria’s drive toward science and technology. And it could not have found a better time to have Prof. Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu at the helm. He has made CUSTECH Osara a mecca for researchers, a home where academics want to ply their trade, and an institution whose graduates are already making the university proud in NYSC camps and workplaces across the country.