By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has approved the reaccreditation of 11 courses for the Polytechnic Ibadan, fondly called Poly Ibadan, Oyo State.
The reaccredited courses were Civil Engineering, Building Technology, Insurance, Marketing, Purchasing and Supply, Mass Communication, Local Government Studies, Business Administration and Supply, Geological Technology, Mechatronics, and Library and Information Science.
In addition, the board, which regulates polytechnic education in Nigeria, granted approval to the polytechnic’s annexes for a few outstanding courses.
Speaking on Thursday at the 2020/2021 orientation program for fresh students of the institution, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, Mr Wasiu Olatunbosun, disclosed that these developments were made possible through the support of the Oyo State government.
He added that the school has enjoyed affiliation with professional bodies, which in turn has given students from Urban and Regional Planning; Quantity Surveying; and Accountancy leverage in the labour market.
The Commissioner, therefore, urged the management of the school to incorporate more entrepreneurial programmes in its curriculum, noting that this will facilitate economic advancement in the state, and the country.
While Mr Olatunbosun underscored the need for the institution to ensure quality content and capacity building in all its programmes, he also emphasised that the present administration is committed to the rejigging of all state institution’s curricula, such that it will enable students of the institutions to become job creators after graduation.
He stressed that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde was committed to a paradigm shift, away from the design of the African method of education, where people were trained to come out and search for white-collar jobs.
Discussing the topic, Civic Responsibilities of a Citizen in this Democratic Dispensation in Oyo State, the Commissioner said the role of students in building society cannot be underplayed, urging them to strive and create a niche for themselves from day one of their studies, in order to attain success in life.
Mr Olatunbosun also charged the students to put in their own quota, as the state government has always supported youths in the state through many lofty policies.
Speaking earlier, the Head of Department, Public Administration, Dr Risikat Akinseye, said that the essence of the orientation program for the students is to educate them on how to be successful in their chosen career.
She said that the program will also help to put the students right on their duties in the society, which is being able to stand for the good of the society.
The lecturer advised the students not to cut corners in order to be able to defend their certificate and to avoid unnecessary distractions which can make them a failure.
Dipo Olowookere