Education
Oyetola upgrades Osun college of education Ilesa to varsity
The Osun state governor, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, on Thursday, formally announced the upgrade of the State College of Education, Ilesa, to a full-fledged university.
Oyetola informed that the decision was arrived having painstakingly and carefully examined the request made by prominent sons and daughters of Ijesaland to that effect.
His words, “Let me say that, having looked into and examined carefully the request made by prominent sons and daughters of Ijesa Land, and the Owa, our highly-revered Royal Father, His Imperial Majesty, Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba (Dr.) Gabriel Aromolaran, Government has decided to upgrade the Osun College of Education, Ilesa, to a full-fledged University.
“We have also engaged one of the nation’s best corporate Consultants, KPMG, to work out the sustainability plan of the upgrade”, he added,
He made the announcement during the inauguration of the Ijesa Community Funded Geriatric Centre in Ilesa.
The newly-inaugurated Geriatric Centre was funded and built by prominent Ijasa sons and daughters.
Inaugurating the Centre, which is a product of the magnanimity of the Ijesa people through the Ijesa Health is Wealth Project, Governor Oyetola noted that the initiative was another testament to the generosity and abiding passion of the great Ijesa people to add value to the lives of the people.
He noted that the gesture would go a long way to complement his administration’s sustained investment in the health sector as government has devoted unprecedented attention to revitalizing the health sector in the last three years.
According to him, the concerted development has given birth to the revitalisation of 332 primary health centres across all the wards in the State, improved welfare of medical workers, the construction of a 120-bed ward, construction of 30 units of doctors’ quarters at the State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo, among others.
Oyetola, who noted that his administration has successfully put Osun on the world map of quality health provision, said, “This is an intervention that other well-meaning indigenous groups should emulate and be counted to become frontline contributors to the development of our State”
Governor Oyetola expressed gratitude to the sons and daughters of Ijesaland for their unflinching support in general and for contributing significantly to the development of the State.
He said the newly- inaugurated health facility would further help to bring quality healthcare service delivery to the people.
“Considering our nation’s growing aged population and the absence of the requisite medical care for our senior citizens, this project is certainly excellently well-thought-out and has definitely come to fill a much-needed void.
“In other words, the Ijesa Geriatric Centre is a welcome development as it brings closer to our people a specialised geriatric care. This is against the background of the truism that being old is not a disease and that senior citizens have a right to medical care as indeed the younger population.
“Realising their invaluable role in the development of the society, our senior citizens should deservedly be treated with warmth, utmost respect and be provided a truly-enabling environment where they can interact with healthcare professionals with dignity.
“Doing so is instructive, as it shows that our senior citizens are valued for their contributions to the development of our society. This is the need that this Geriatric Center has come to fill, and we cannot thank you enough for making it possible, only ten months after its construction was commenced.
“Worth a billion Naira, this Centre is an expansive facility that comprises the general outpatient building, administrative building, ophthalmology and dental building, physiotherapy, theatre complex, inward among other essential facilities that will provide the best of medical care for our senior citizens.
“I consider this project absolutely complementary to our administration’s sustained investment in the health sector. You will recall that in the last three years plus of our administration, we have devoted unprecedented attention to revitalizing our health sector”.
Earlier in his remarks, the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, thanked all illustrious and eminent Ijesa people both home and in the diaspora for the initiative, support, commitment and the degree of responsiveness to the developmental agenda of Ijesaland.
According to the reverred monarch, the project has once again attested to the commitment of Ijesa people to igniting the contagious relentless efforts towards breaking the paradigm for community development.
Oba Aromolaran, who lauded Governor Oyetola for his tremendous achievements in the various sectors of the economy, said it was a thing of joy that the new health facility was constructed to complement his monumental strides in the health sector.
“It is noteworthy to openly declare that the primary concern of the entire Ijesa people through the Ijesa Community Development Assembly is the smooth, efficient, effective and prudent management of the Ijesaland Geriatric Centre and where necessary the people of Ijesa would always provide complementary support for the sustainability of effective service delivery to the elderly people”, the monarch added.
Also speaking, the Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Olayinka Fasuyi, expressed gratitude to the the sons and daughters of Ijesaland for the successful actualisation of the project.
He attributed the success of the project to the timely support and donations from the people of Ijesaland saying, “the meeting we held yielded bountiful results as we were able to put in a number of strategies to finally arrive at a total cost of the project.
“Strategizing and Mobilising funds for the project implementation have been the most harrowing challenge imaginable. Indeed, it is better imagined than experienced.
“It is important to salute the unparalleled commitment and dexterity of the Ijesa to their community development as generously demonstrated in these last two projects black-to-back.
“Today, Ijesaland has successfully built and delivered the second geriatric centre in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We appreciate you for heeding our age-old prayers of upgrading the 44-year-old College of Education, Ilesa, to a full fledged University.
“Mr. Governor, You have honoured us, God will continue to honour you. You have listened to our requests and our overdue agitations. God will not forsake you. You have rekindled our hope as Ijesa people and you have made us proud with this declaration. You shall continue to be celebrated. I want to assure you that Ijesaland shall vote massively beyond your imagination in return of your kind gesture to us. It is only God in His infinity that will compensate you, “ he noted.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede (FEDPA), Oyo State, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, has been honoured with the Leadership Excellence and Education Icon Award in recognition of his contributions to the education sector and national development.
The award was presented by Bollyjoe Media Communications Ltd, a media and communications firm based in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Wednesday.
Presenting the award, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Joseph Uzuakpundu Bollyjoe, said Abdul-Hameed was recognised for his selfless service and transformative leadership within Nigeria’s polytechnic education system.
He noted that under the Rector’s stewardship, the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, had witnessed strategic reforms aimed at strengthening academic standards and promoting institutional stability.
According to him, the Rector’s policies have repositioned the institution for sustainable growth and aligned its technical education programmes with global best practices.
Since assuming office, the Rector has prioritised infrastructural development, administrative discipline and innovation-driven governance, earning commendations from stakeholders.
Reacting to the honour, Abdul-Hameed, described the award as a motivation to further deepen reforms and consolidate on existing achievements.
“This recognition is not just personal; it reflects the dedication of our management, staff and students who share the vision of building a globally competitive institution,” the Rector said.
He added that the polytechnic would remain committed to excellence, integrity and continuous development in line with national educational aspirations.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday described the Federal Polytechnic Ayede as the best-performing among federal polytechnics established in 2021, commending its infrastructural expansion and academic stability as the institution graduated 325 students at its maiden convocation ceremony.
Tinubu, who is the Visitor to the institution, was represented by the Director, Polytechnics and Allied Institutions, Dr. Usman Ejeh. He said the polytechnic’s achievements within five years were “remarkable and strategic,” adding that its growth aligns with the Federal Government’s reform agenda for technical and vocational education.
“The Federal Polytechnic Ayede has distinguished itself among its peers established in 2021. Its commitment to infrastructure, skills acquisition, and academic stability clearly positions it as a model institution,” he said.
The President noted that his administration had introduced key reforms, including the students’ loan scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, curriculum modernisation, infrastructural renewal, and digital skills expansion to reposition the education sector.
“We are determined to build institutions that will produce innovators, entrepreneurs, and solution providers for our economy,” he added, urging the management to consolidate on existing gains.
Earlier, the Rector, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, described the combined convocation for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions as a defining milestone in the institution’s history.
“We gather here today to officially present to the world the first set of graduates produced by the Federal Polytechnic Ayede. This indeed calls for celebration,” he said.
The rector expressed appreciation to Tinubu for policies aimed at strengthening technical education and acknowledged the support of regulatory and funding agencies, including the National Board for Technical Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, for accreditation and infrastructural interventions that accelerated the institution’s development.
He disclosed that 138 students graduated in the 2023/2024 session and 187 in the 2024/2025 session, bringing the total number of graduands to 325.
According to him, Miss Taiwo Ibukunoluwa Arinola of Science Laboratory Technology and Mr. Olapese Quadri Ayofe of Agricultural Technology emerged as the overall best graduating students for their respective sessions with a cumulative grade point average of 3.96.
Beyond the award of National Diploma certificates, Abdul-Hameed said each graduand obtained at least two additional vocational certifications through the Centre for Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development.
“Our graduates are not just job seekers but employers of labour. We have deliberately equipped them with relevant entrepreneurial and technical competencies,” he said, adding that 68 major projects had been executed across the temporary and permanent sites through TETFund interventions, Federal Government appropriations, and donor support.
The projects, he said, include a main administrative building, ICT centre, health centre, engineering workshops, and improved power infrastructure, while the institution also recorded over 64 research projects and nine TETFund-supported fabrication innovations. He also reaffirmed the polytechnic’s resolve to relocate fully to its permanent site in Ayede, Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area, and appealed for improved access roads and hostel accommodation.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Hon. Yakubu Dati, described the ceremony as a celebration of vision and collective commitment, urging government, corporate organisations, and well-meaning Nigerians to support the institution with critical infrastructure, particularly road networks and student hostels, through direct intervention or Public-Private Partnership arrangements. He commended the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, and the host community for sustaining a peaceful environment, and appreciated the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, who was also the guest lecturer, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, for supporting the construction of an access road to the institution.
Fellowship awards were conferred on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji; and Dr Abubakar Isa.
The event attracted traditional rulers, including the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye; the Timi of Ede, Oba Adesola Munirudeen Lawal; and the Aresa of Iresapupa, Oba Moses Olayiwola Ajiboye, as well as Senators Ayo Adeseun, Abdulfatai Buhari, prominent Ogbomoso leaders, rectors of sister polytechnics, scholars, and other dignitaries.
Education
Oyo: Speaker Abbas, NRS Chair, Adedeji to Attend Ayede Polytechnic’s Maiden Convocation as 325 Set to Graduate
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, and the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zacch Adelabu Adedeji, will on Thursday grace the maiden combined convocation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo State, where no fewer than 325 students will be awarded National Diploma certificates.
The Pioneer Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, disclosed this on Monday during a pre-convocation press conference at the institution’s Permanent Site in Ayede, describing the event as “a defining milestone” in the history of the young federal institution.
“This is the first convocation of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, since its establishment on January 19, 2021, and it marks our transition from take-off to consolidation,” the Rector said.
Abdul-Hameed said the speaker would chair the convocation lecture, while the NRS boss, Adedeji would deliver the lecture titled, ‘The Role of Technology in Implementing Nigeria’s New Tax Laws: Challenges and Prospects’, noting that the calibre of invited dignitaries reflected the institution’s rising national profile.
“The presence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service underscores the growing relevance of the Polytechnic in national development discourse,” he said.
According to the Rector, the combined convocation covers the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions and will span six days, featuring a novelty football match, convocation lecture, award of National Diploma certificates, and the conferment of fellowship honours.
He disclosed that 138 students completed their programmes in the 2023/2024 academic session, while 187 students graduated in the 2024/2025 session, bringing the total number of graduands to 325.
On academic expansion, Abdul-Hameed said the Polytechnic commenced academic activities in 2023 with four National Diploma programmes but has grown to run 13 fully accredited ND programmes across five schools.
“We currently operate across the Schools of Engineering, Environmental Technology, Management Sciences, Science and Technology, and Agricultural Technology, all with full NBTE accreditation,” he stated.
The Rector attributed the institution’s rapid growth to sustained support from the Federal Government under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside interventions from the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education, and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
“These interventions have strengthened our capacity in programme accreditation, staff development, and infrastructure delivery,” he said.
Abdul-Hameed further revealed that the Polytechnic had executed 68 major infrastructural, ICT, and utility projects across its Permanent and Temporary campuses, adding that work was ongoing on the access road linking the Permanent Site from Idi-Araba.
“While we have made significant progress, we still require support in access roads, student hostels, power supply, water facilities, and digital infrastructure to sustain our growth,” the Rector appealed.
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