A statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, said lectures began on Thursday, April 19, 2018.

According to Akande, 196 students have been admitted into the university.

The release also stated that academic activities would only take off in three faculties approved by the National Universities Commission.

The three faculties are Transport, Engineering and Environmental Management, with 13 departments and specialisation in Marine Engineering, Marine Economics to Climate Change, Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Earlier in March,  the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Etebu had announced that the institution would commence operation in mid-April 2018.

The VC made the announcement at the  Kurutie take-off campus of the university where about 1,300 prospective academic staff were shortlisted from 6,000 applicants who applied for the job advert.

Buhari approves increase in the take off grant of the university

However, in a bid to ensure smooth commencement of operation at the university, President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly approved an increase in the take-off grant allocated to the university from N2 billion to N5 billion.

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The amount was included in the 2018 budget which was presented to the National Assembly in November 2017

In January 2018, the National Universities Commission granted the university the approval to start degree programmes from the 2017/2018 academic session.