Qualitative technical, vocational education necessity for economic leap —Modupe Mujota, Ogun Commissioner for Education

The Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Modupe Mujota, said the need to address the high rate of unemployment among Nigerian teeming youths by the government could be achieved without qualitative technical and vocational education, which was a necessity for economic leap and national development.

She stated this at formal opening of an academic exhibition of technological and vocational projects being executed by students of D.S  Adgbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori, an Ogun State owned public institution on Monday, as one of the programmes marking the 10th anniversary and first convocation of the institution.

While she described the observable differences between income and wealth in developed and under developed countries as a reflection of the disparities in the level and degree of technological progress, she said technology was the main driver of production and services that could facilitate vibrant economy.

She observed that if Nigeria must experience a meaningful social, economic and political development, there was an urgent need to harness all available and necessary resources to trigger a massive paradigm shift, which underlined the significance of the academic exhibition of technical and vocational projects organised by the polytechnic.

Declaring the exhibition open, she noted that the polytechnic was established by the state government, in order to bridge the gap that had been unwittingly created by higher education and then had grown in leaps and bounds.

She congratulated the management, staff and students of the institution on the commemoration of its 10th anniversary, saluting the courage of the Rector, Dr Afred Olufemi Fatade, for bringing his knowledge and experience to bear in the administration of the institution, saying “the consequence of the innovations we are celebrating today.”

She also appreciated the host community and its head for consistently collaborating with the polytechnic and the state government to ensure peaceful and cordial coexistence, as  she charged the student exhibitors to see themselves as assets and marketable commodities to both the education industry and the nation at large.

Earlier, the Rector,  Dr A.S  Adegbenro; ICT Polytechnic,  Mr Aftred Olufemi Fatade, while addressing a press conference  highlighted  some of the achievements of his administration since he assumed office on 29 March, 2016. He  hinted that the polytechnic started out as an Information and Communication Institute, but was the later converted  on the advice of the National Board for Technical Education by the state government to a full fledge polytechnic situated in Itori, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He lauded the state government for not relenting in its efforts  or reneging on its resolve to upscale tertiary education in the state and, most especially on the approval and the implementation of backlog of staff promotion from 2010 to 2016.

Mr Bayo Ogundimu, the acting registrar in her vote of thanks, appreciated the commissioner and his entourage for gracing the occasion, saying “we have never had this kind of experience in the 10 years of existence of the school. What you have done here today would further motivate the students to do more and they would be better for it.”

He assured the commissioner that the management team would continue to work hard and leave no stone unturned to live the institution better than it met it.

Some of the technological projects that were fabricated and exhibited  at the event by the students included: e-voting system by Deji Busari, automated messenger by Wahab Balogun, cyber security and solution by Jacobs Mathias, automated truck management and tracking system by Akinyebi Abiola.

Others were: GSM-based remote control system, power inverter, car battery charger, solenoid engine, wireless power transmission unit, temperature controlled fan, employee management record system, remote controlled extension box, among others.