The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has moved to calm nerves and clear the air after announcing that it will not admit new students into its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme for the 2026/2027 academic session — a decision it insists is a strategic, one-year pause rather than a shutdown.
In an official notice dated February 3, 2026, and signed by the Registrar, C.O. Adeleye, the university advised candidates who selected FUTA for MBBS in the ongoing UTME registration conducted by JAMB to immediately change to other institutions for the coming session. The directive sparked anxiety among prospective students and parents, with some fearing the university’s relatively young medical programme might have been suspended or scrapped.
But FUTA has firmly dismissed those claims.
In a detailed clarification issued by Adegbenro Adebanjo of the Directorate of Corporate Communication and Protocol, the university stressed that the MBBS programme remains “intact, up and running,” describing the move as a temporary, one-session suspension of admissions designed to strengthen the system.
According to the university, the decision is aimed at ensuring a seamless academic calendar and smooth, uninterrupted clinical training for students already in the programme. By reducing intake for one year, FUTA says it can better consolidate its facilities, staff capacity, and clinical logistics to meet national and global standards in medical education.
“The suspension of admission into the programme for the 2026/2027 academic session (one session only) is to engender a seamless academic calendar and facilitate hitch-free clinical training,” the statement noted, warning that any claims suggesting discontinuation of the programme are “false, misleading, and completely at variance with the reality on the ground.”
Central to the reassurance is the FUTA Teaching Hospital, a cornerstone of the university’s medical training. FUTA said the College of Health Sciences continues to work closely with the hospital to ensure uninterrupted clinical exposure for current students. The hospital itself was established through collaboration involving the Federal Government, Ondo State Government, traditional institutions, and other key stakeholders.
The university used the moment to appreciate major contributors to the project, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Minister of Health Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, the Deji of Akure Kingdom Oba (Dr) Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, elder statesman Pa Reuben Fasoranti, and Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, among others.
FUTA described the pause as part of a broader consolidation effort to fine-tune operations, strengthen clinical training structures, and ensure that graduates of its MBBS programme are thoroughly prepared for the demands of the medical profession.
While advising prospective candidates to promptly adjust their JAMB choices to avoid complications, the university reassured the public that admissions into the MBBS programme will resume in the following academic session.
The message from Akure is clear: this is not an end, but a reset — a calculated step to build a stronger, more sustainable medical programme for the future.