Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State said he has approved the sum of N200 million for The Polytechnic, Ibadan to secure accreditation for some of its courses and another N100 million for capital projects in the 2020 budget.
Makinde made this declaration while speaking at the 34th convocation ceremony of the institution.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Professor Daud Shangodoyin, said his administration supports quality academic culture and would not do anything to hinder its development.
“My administration is determined to salvage the education sector from its doldrums. The problem facing education is multifaceted, but we are prepared, more than ever before, to confront the problem and make the state a model educational state to be emulated by others in terms of quality personnel engaged in academic activities at all levels.
“The budget recently presented to the state House of Assembly has given education the highest allocation of 22 per cent, hence we hope that Oyo State will bounce back as the leading educational state and fountain of knowledge setting the pace for others.
“To ensure the accreditation of all your courses, the sum of N200 million was approved and released to your institution with the hope that the money would be spent judiciously and accreditation of all listed courses secured.
“We have also approved a sum of N100 million in the 2020 budget for the execution of capital projects in the institution. All these, from the records available to me, have not happened in the institution in the last 10 years”.
The governor noted that the major challenge in tertiary institutions in the country was electricity, saying this had hampered learning and research.
He, however, said it was imperative to end the parity between the university and polytechnic education in Nigeria as was done in the United Kingdom.
“This institution should be repositioned, not to maintain the fourth position among its peers, but to be the foremost polytechnic nationally and globally, taking the lead role in technological education.
He, however, charged the graduands to think of survival strategies in view of the challenges in the labour market and come up with solutions using the training and education acquired from the institution.
Rector of the institution, Professor Kazeem Adebiyi, said the support received from the governor had helped in making appreciable progress.
He noted that the institution’s management had given priority to the welfare of members of staff and students and had promoted peace among students, especially in the area of unionism.
“The world has become a global village and this institution cannot afford to be left out in terms of the up grade of its teaching facilities, both human and physical, as well as the by-products of teaching, which are the students.
“The institution has trained you, not only to use your brains but more importantly, your hands. Due to the nature of your training, you are job creators, not job seekers”.
