Stakeholders have called on governments to increase allocations to the nation’s polytechnics to make them achieve their goal of promoting technical and vocational education, training and skills development to enhance the country’s socio-economic advancement.
They also called on the institutions’ managements to “harness resources from national and international organization like World Bank, Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other international donors among others to boost funding of the polytechnic education toward optimum productivity”.
The stakeholders, however, called on the institutions to look inwards at the possible ways of improving the revenue generation capacity of the polytechnics for effective and efficient service delivery.
These were part of the resolutions at the two-day maiden economic summit of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, with the theme, ‘Motivation, productivity and institutional progress: The challenges of harnessing the potentials of FPA.
These were contained in a communique signed by the Deans – Dr Abayomi Olorunisola (Continuing Education Centre), Dr Michael Akinola (Agric and Agricultural Technology), Dr Monisola Olowolaju; (Business Studies), Mr Sunday Osayilusi (Science and Computer Studies), Mr Olukayode Oladipo, (Environmental Studies) and Dr Sunday Olajide (Student Affairs) –and former Deputy Rector, Academics, Dr Nnandi Aboloma.
As part of efforts to better its economy, the FPA has resolved to identify further sources of internally generated revenue and strategize on better performance of the revenue sources within the system.
To harness its manpower to unlock the potentials in the system, the institution has also resolved to set-up IGR units and as well embark on research activities necessary in facilitating the economic fortunes of the system.
According to them, among IGR sources identified by the stakeholders are Continuing Education Centre; Digital Library; Information and Communication Technology; Poly Venture; Centre for Entrepreneurship Development And Vocational Studies; Directorate of University Degree Affiliation Programme” and harnessing it’s vast land for various forms of agriculture.
They stated that FPA had resolved to go into partnership with relevant and established industries, training and retraining of staff for better performance and as well pursue with vigour, “patenting of our outstanding products/outputs in addition to establishment of Entrepreneurship Village to co-ordinate all related enterprises.
“The Library should venture into some fee-based services that can enhance IGR for the Institution. Departments/ Units should be structured in a way to contribute to the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the institution. Consultancy unit of the institution should be established to harmonize all consultancy services and the rest.
“To ensure optimum productivity in the Polytechnic system, research must be prioritized and geared towards obtaining research grant which should be judiciously utilized.
“For Polytechnic system to compete favourably well with the best global practice, its curriculum must be regularly reviewed with a view to regulating national and global contemporary issues and challenges.
“For any progress to be recorded in the Polytechnic education, the place of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) must not be undermined”.
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