The Department of Mechanical Engineering was established in 1985 alongside the Civil Engineering and Electrical/Electronic Engineering Departments to train engineering students to solve problems in the industries in Nigeria. The Department of Mechanical Engineering started with 12 students, which has now increased significantly. In 1990, the Department graduated its pioneer students. Four students graduated with Second Class Honours (Upper Division), six students graduated with Second Class Honours (Lower Division) and one student graduated with Third Class Honours.

Our undergraduate programme runs for five academic sessions with a curriculum that offers Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Engineering Sciences that are common to most engineering programmes. The curriculum also includes several units of General Studies (GST) courses. In the later years, students take professional courses such as Machine Design, Engineering Materials, Production/Manufacturing Processes, Heat Transfer, Refrigeration & Cryogenics, Air Conditioning, Fluid Mechanics, Fluid Machinery and others.

There was a low number of academic staff in the Department at inception, but the expatriates complemented it through the collaboration between Aalborg University Centre, Denmark and our University. The collaboration yielded results as many staff in the Faculty, including staff in the Department of Mechanical Engineering attended different programmes at Aalborg University Centre, Denmark. Currently, the Department has fourteen academic staff which include: Prof. I. O. Oluwaleye, Dr T. O. Oni, Dr J. T. Stephen Dr A. Adebayo, Dr A. S. Lawal, Dr G. J Adeyemi, Dr A. A. Ojo, Dr D. O. Akindele, Dr B. S. Oluwadare, Dr K. A. Olanipekun, Dr J. O. Abere, Dr S. A. Adeleye, Engr (Mrs) M. A. Oluleye and Engr N. E. Olukayode. All the academic staff in the Department are registered members of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and specialise in different areas of specialisation such as Thermofluids, Materials, Production, Tribology, Energy and Mechanics.

The Department has laboratories and workshops to expose the students to practical activities. There are eleven technical staff in the Department which include: Engr J. I. Asaolu, Dr O. Awogbemi, Mr A. Adebiyi, Mrs D. O. Ogunjemilusi, Engr O. J. Ogundipe, Engr A. A. Ayiti, Engr T. P. Babatunde, Engr O. A. Oladimeji, Mr. R. O. Jaiyeola, Mr O. Okebule and Miss A. J. Ogunnyi. All the technical staff in the Department are duly registered with appropriate professional bodies.

The Department has undergone a series of accreditation by the panel of accreditors from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and passed. In 1998, the Department started the Postgraduate Diploma Programme and started M.Eng and PhD Programmes in the first semester of the 1999/2000 academic session. The Department has graduated many undergraduate, master’s and PhD students who have excelled in different sectors globally.

Philosophy of the Department

The philosophy of the programme is tailored towards producing graduate engineers with mastery in basic engineering education combined with sound practical skills and professional training, capable of exploiting current technologies and the latest advances in the field of Mechanical Engineering, as well as being technically competent for innovations and self-reliance, and equipped to meet the industrial manpower needs both at home and abroad.

The Mission Statement of the Department

As a progressing Department, it sets itself the mission of identifying and helping to solve the developmental problems of the State through training, research and services. In addition, the Department of Mechanical Engineering provides innovative programmes of high quality to produce engineers for the industrialisation of the nation. The curriculum of this programme comprises comprehensive courses of lectures and practical works in the laboratories and workshops.