Rector Seeks Improved Funding For Polytechnic Education

Rector of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State, Dr Mobolaji Onasanya, has urged federal and state governments to ensure improved funding for polytechnic education to enable it to meet the mandate of training the needed manpower for the country’s industrial sector.

This is just as he advocated that the federal government consider practicable and equitable rotational arrangements for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUN) that will enable all state-owned tertiary institutions to access the intervention fund on an annual basis for infrastructure support among the institutions.

Without these, Onasanya explained that the critical needs of polytechnic education for training manpower for industrial uptake in Nigeria may be difficult to meet fairly and sustainably.

He spoke at a press conference heralding the 20th anniversary celebration and 4th combined convocation of the polytechnic, scheduled for next Thursday in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

On the challenges confronting polytechnic education in Nigeria, particularly the 20-year-old Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, the Rector bemoaned inadequate funding and a monthly subvention from the state government that has remained stagnant since the institution was established 20 years ago.

“The Polytechnic reports that it has not accessed the TETFUND Intervention since 2020. We respectfully seek consideration of a practicable and equitable rotational arrangement for infrastructure support. We also appeal for a review of the Polytechnic’s monthly subvention from the Ogun State government”.

“The allocation has remained substantially at its earlier level despite increases in the cost of salaries, utilities, maintenance, equipment and other essential operations. A review would help the institution manage its obligations, preserve services and sustain improvements in teaching, learning and administration”.

Onasanya emphasised that those requests for financial and infrastructural interventions are not a departure from the institution’s achievements; rather, they have just identified the practical support needed to consolidate progress and ensure that the polytechnic can fulfil its mandate more effectively.

Commenting on the achievements recorded by the institution within the past 20 years since its establishment, Onasanya disclosed that the institution, which took on only 300 students in 10 academic programmes, has today grown to have over 7,000 students across 31 academic courses of study since 2006 to date.

Explaining that the polytechnic’s forthcoming convocation covered those who graduated from year 2021/2922, 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions, Onasanya further proudly disclosed that the institution has been able to achieve the CISCO certification in some of its engineering courses, thus attesting to part of the progress attained by the institution.

He, however, commended the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and the governing council of the institution for their support towards keeping the dreams of the founding fathers alive.