Kwara Poly graduates 7,781 with 118 distinction

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

The Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic, Dr Abdul Mohammed said the institution is moving its Institute of Technology (IOT), to its permanent site in Araa, a suburb in Ilorin, the state capital.

The relocation is coming 59 years after the school was created.

The rector disclosed this at a media briefing to mark the 28th convocation ceremony of the polytechnic currently on going, where 7,781 students are graduating from both its HND and OND programs.

Of the 7,781 students graduating, 62 have Distinction at the HND level, while 56 passed in same category at the OND level.

The 28 convocation ceremony, which kicks off on Tuesday (today), will be rounded up on Thursday, 20th October.

Dr Mohammed announced a high level partnership with reputable institutions to train students to be more hands on and job creators.

He stated that students of the polytechnic will be more entrepreneurial after the management signed MoUs with the Prototype Engineering Development Institute, Ilesha, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi and Mantrac CAT, an engineering concern in Ikeja, Lagos.

Within the 2021/2022 period under review Dr Mohammed said it faced challenges and made some remarkable achievements.

He noted that a large portion of the school’s land in Araa has been encroached on while it occupies just 6%, adding that the rest 53 percent is now difficult to access because the encroachers now envelope the school.

“Our response now is to halt such practice by building our new projects on the virgin lands and encroachment prone areas.

“We have also set up committee on the matter to see how to manage the situation,” he added.

The rector also complained of funding and the need to fence the entire school as means of securing the higher institution.

However, he said the institution has also made substantial progress, noting that it is in the final stages of opening its own microfinance bank, with which it hopes to shore up its revenue base.

“Management embarked on the establishment of a Micro finance bank. Necessary steps towards the take-off of the project have been taken with the opening of an account with Keystone Bank, the parent bank for our bank, while application for registration is in the final stage of approval at the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he said.