Abdulrazaq calls for adequate preparation for post-oil years

...As Kwarapoly set to partner investors

The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has called for adequate preparation for Nigeria to survive in the post-oil years which he says could be nearer than expected.

He therefore, called for better attention to technical education, agriculture and enterprise.

The governor, speaking at the 26th Convocation Ceremony of the Kwara State Polytechnic in Ilorin, the state capital, posited that “The whole world is preparing for post-oil years and this means we must consciously wean ourselves off the unhelpful addiction to the oil wealth. We must promote skills acquisition, agribusiness, and enterprise.”

Abdulrazaq, represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Mamman Saba Jibril, assured that Kwara under his watch will promote agribusiness, skills acquisition, private initiatives and local technological inventions.

Adding that “Among other plans, the ongoing process to renovate the Kwara State Library, equip it with fast internet facilities for elearning, and make it the launch pad for our innovation hub is a step in this direction and we will follow it through, God willing. We will support technological inventions, especially from our own institutions that would help to strengthen our agricultural value chain.”

In his remarks, Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, the Rector of the Polytechnic revealed that the institution has opened up avenues for investors to come and partner with it on the arrangement of Build Operation Transfer (BOT).

Mohammed, who identified funding as the major challenge of the school, explained: “like other tertiary institutions, our Polytechnic has a problem of funding.

“Lack of adequate fund makes it difficult to carry out comprehensive renovation and rehabilitation of the obsolete structure,” saying, “We would appreciate if your administration restores our monthly subvention.”

Mohammed lamented that most of the buildings in the polytechnic are as old and in bad condition including the school hostels due to lack of fund.

He says quite a huge sum of money running into millions of naira is needed for accreditation or Re-accreditation of the Polytechnic’s National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes.

“The team of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has insisted on meeting requirements in order to sail through each accreditation. Meeting this financial requirement is always a serious challenge to the instruction.

“The Polytechnic will appreciate if your administration can come to its aids in this regard,” he said.