Institute of Erosion Studies (IES)

Prof. Francis Onyemaobi Ojiako

Director, Institute of Erosion Studies

Welcome to the Institute of Erosion Studies (IES)

The Institute of Erosion Studies (IES) is an organized autonomous research unit established to combat erosion related problems such as soil erosion, soil conservation, and general environmental degradation. The Institute is essentially a research unit but also offers training, extension and consultancy services in the area of erosion and watershed management.

Institute of Erosion Studies (IES) FUTO offers professional services in the following areas;

Geotechnical/hydraulic laboratory services.
Weather data acquisition and interpretation.
Geomatics station for soil/flow analysis.
Consultancy services in the areas soil analysis and flood control.
Specialized library services with relevant books and journals in the areas of soil analysis, flood control, metrological weather information.
Specialized certificate and post graduate programmes on soil erosion control and watershed management.

The FUTO Institute of Erosion Studies (IES) started in 1984 as Erosion Research Project (ERP) that resulted from a collaborative linkage programme between the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Imo State Nigeria, on the one hand and the Delft University of Technology (DUT) and the Wageningen Agricultural University (WAU) both in the Netherlands on the other hand. This linkage programme came under the training programme covered by Lome II agreement between the European Economic Committee (EEC) Commission and the Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) countries financed from African the European Development Fund (EDF).

The selection of FUTO in the training programme was based on the success of a research proposal jointly submitted by Engr. Prof. C. O. G. Obah and Dr. C. I. Ijioma of FUTO, and Engr. D. O. Aneke, a soil and water Agricultural Engineer in the then Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Water Resources in Owerri. The Institute has maintained its glamorous name by being identified as a centre of excellence for advanced research studies in erosion and related fields. In line with the University mantra of "Continuing with the quest for Excellence" the Institute's outstanding performances have earned her numerous collaborations with notable organizations and government agencies which include: World Bank, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (NEWMAP), Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Nigeria Metrological Agency (NIMET), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) among others. The Institute of Erosion Study-FUTO has to date become an indispensable tool for various researches in this University benefitting virtually all the schools (SEET, SESET, SICT, SOES, SAAT, SMAT, SOPS and SOBS). The services of IES FUTO is available to numerous undergraduate, post graduate students from different institutions of learning and some private organizations in related fields.

Currently, the Institute was given the mandate to provide enabling environment and facilities for research in the pursuit of higher degrees (M.Sc. and Ph.D) in Integrated Watershed Management and Urban Drainage System & Management as well as other Diploma/Certificate programmes such as Geomorphology & Meteorology Programme and Watershed Management. The purpose is to foster professional development in soil conservation and management with the authority to train, plan, and conduct and coordinate researches as well as offering consultancy services on soil erosion and related environmental problems.

Our Vision

Primarily, the Institute is envisioned to be a renowned by evolving a conducive learning Research Centre environment for novel researches tailored towards detecting and solving environmental problems. The Institute should be a depository and custodian of data relating to erosion and flood management, properly situated to becoming an International Centre of Excellence and Reference in these and emerging environmental issues.

Our Mission

The MISSION of the Institute of Erosion Studies is to train, plan, conduct and coordinate researches as well as offering consultancy services on various types and forms of soil problems, run-off erosion and related environmental problems generation, soil structure degradation, badlands, sedimentation processes, hydrology, effect of erosion on settlement patterns, transportation, physical infrastructure, farming systems, food production and environmental control measures; development of joint research and training programmes (collaboration) with related Institutions so as to understand and combat all forms of erosion - whether sheet, rill, tunnel, gully or coastal and to offer solution to the degradation consequences on soil conservation in Nigeria and the West African Sub-region.

History/Background Study Of IES

The Institute of Erosion Studies (IES) is an organized autonomous research unit established to combat erosion – related problems such as soil erosion, soil conservation, and general environmental degradation. The Institute is essentially a research unit but also offers training, extension and consultancy services in the area of erosion.

The FUTO Institute of Erosion Studies (IES) started in 1984 as Erosion Research Project (ERP) that resulted from a collaborative linkage program between the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Imo State Nigeria, on the one hand and the Delft University of Technology (DUT) and the Wageningen Agricultural University (WAU) both in the Netherlands on the other hand.

This linkage program came under the training program covered by Lome II agreement between the European Economic Committee (EEC) Commission and the African – Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) countries financed from the European Development Fund (EDF).

Meet Our Team