Education
Oyo: Makinde inducts 5,000 newly recruited teachers
No fewer than five thousand (5,000) teachers recently recruited by the Oyo state government and 700 non-teaching staff converted to teaching cadre been inducted.
The state governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde has charged the inductees to embrace professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
Speaking at the Induction and Training Programme for the new teachers employed by the post-Primary School Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, ton Monday, the governor noted that the teachers’ appointments were based on merit.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as equally saying that his administration will continue to train and retrain the new teachers and give them all the necessary support needed for the success of their works.
He said: “I want to use this opportunity to congratulate the inductees. I am sure that the majority of you got this appointment by merit. It is not because you know a Permanent Secretary or the governor or anybody. You applied, they called you for the test, you did the interview and you were successful.
“Well, you may or may not know. I was going to cancel my engagement here but I am glad that I came. You are being inducted into a noble profession and some of you will go on to do some other things. This is just the beginning but not the end for all of you.
“Some of you will leave the teaching line and become politicians. We may have the future governor here; it has happened before. Alhaji Lam Adesina was a teacher before he became governor. So, don’t rule anything out. Even if you don’t become governor, two of my teachers are here, some of the students you will teach may become governor.”
Makinde, who maintained that his administration will continue to put the interest of the state first, added that his administration has been expanding the economy of the state through different policies and programmes.
He charged the teachers to always put the interest of the state first in the discharge of their duties and to see themselves as indispensable partners in the task of repositioning Oyo State and taking its people from poverty to prosperity.
“People have been asking how we have been doing it in Oyo State. Others are paying half salaries and struggling. They are rescinding their decisions to pay the national minimum wage, but we are paying the minimum wage, the consequential adjustment and we are also recruiting. Not just teachers, even health care professionals. We are also recruiting environmental officers.
“Also, the first batch of our agri-business trainees on the YEAP programme have been trained. Those in the second batch have started their training yesterday and we have decided that we will train up to 10,000 of them.
“So, we are creating opportunities in Oyo State. We are expanding our economy, and education is one of the pillars of this administration.
“The burden that we have to carry is such that everything that you do in your various schools will definitely reflect on the overall performance of this administration,” the governor added.
He also called on the new teachers to partner with the state government in its bid to improve the education system, saying that the state has moved from number 26th to 11th position in the comity of states.
He said: “So, I ask you to partner with us, to continue to make the kind of progress we have continued to see so far. When we came in, Oyo State was at number 26 out of 36 states. We were behind all the states in the Southern part of the country but, today, we have moved to number 11. So, you have to continue on that path, and one thing that I promise you is, this administration will not abandon you.
“We will continue to train and retrain you. And we will continue to provide opportunities for you. But I beg of you, our future generations are the ones that you are going to mold. So, every time you wake in the morning to go to your various schools for your assignments, have it at the back of your minds that the little contribution you are making has ramifications for our future as a state and as a country.”
Earlier, the Chairman, Oyo State post-Primary Schools Teaching Service Commission, Pastor Akinade Alamu, said the support given to TESCOM by the governor helped the commission to achieve success in many areas, including the welfare of the staffers and the approval of 1,500 principals of secondary schools who were on Grade Level 15 because there were no vacancies for them to become principals of secondary schools.
Alamu said: “Your Excellency approved that they all be promoted to Grade Level 16. You maintained that their promotion should not be tied to vacancies in secondary schools as vice principals.
“Your Excellency, at the inauguration of this TESCOM board in October 2020, you gave us a mandate to make positive impact to improve the image of TESCOM, which was riddled with corruption and other vices.
“You made a promise to us that you would support us with all that we might need to achieve success in this assignment, and Your Excellency has not failed at any time to give us the greatest support.
“Also, Your Excellency approved that training be conducted for the principals and vice principals of secondary schools in Oyo State.
“You also graciously approved the creation of four additional TESCOM zones in Oyo State. This brings the zones in Oyo State to 10.
“Now, to the issue proper, which is the appointment of 5,000 teachers. The governor approved that they be appointed and also approved money for the CBT and the interview of these applicants. Your Excellency, this is the result of the approval you gave for the appointment of 5,000 teachers.
“They have been posted to all schools in Oyo State, all local governments, and we have been monitoring them; most of them are youths and still fresh from higher institutions and they are performing wonderfully well. So, we believe that they will not disappoint us.
“The governor also approved funds for the training and induction of these new teachers, that is why we are here. And today being the final day, having gone to all the 10 zones to train and induct the teachers in various zones, we are here now at this closing programme, where these ones will be inducted.”
The governor performed the symbolic presentation of certificates of attendance to some of the inductees after the Permanent Secretary of TESCOM, Mrs. Grace Oderinde, administered the oath on the inductees.
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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