Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu will soon be uplifted into a world-class institution. This assurance was given by the Executive Governor of Lagos state and Moderator of the institution, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu at the Polytechnic’s convocation ceremony held at the Ikorodu campus on Thursday, 12th March, 2020.
Governor Sanwoolu gave the assurance while giving his keynote address at the Polytechnic’s convocation event in Ikorodu.
‘Developing industrial capacity also means that we will be able to offer to the world goods and services that are of greater economic value. We will be able to offer processed agricultural goods, we will ramp up our exports and earn
foreign exchange, and we will be in a position to benefit from the increasing shift of global manufacturing capacity
from Asia towards Africa.
Our Polytechnics must therefore be properly positioned for these opportunities. Technical education must never be seen as playing second fiddle to University education; both
must be seen as equally-placed alternatives for young
people on the journey to a productive future’, he said.
‘Let me assure that the Government will not allow the Lagos State Polytechnic to lag behind in any way. Our vision is to
catalyze the development into that of a world-class tertiary institution’, he added.
‘Here in Lagos State we are cognizant of this fact, and are investing heavily in the provision of affordable and
qualitative education in all of our public schools. Let me remind you all that Education is one of the cardinal planks
of our governance vision, known to all and sundry as the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda.
On the education landscape, Polytechnics occupy a very important role, as the bastions of technological innovation
and development. You are all aware that Nigeria is striving to join the league of industrialized nations. Federal and
State Governments realize that industrialization is a veritable path towards job creation, poverty alleviation, and sustainable economic growth’, he concluded.
Earlier, in his welcome speech, Rector of the Polytechnic, Mr Samuel Sogunro stated that, ‘ we are graduating a total number of 16, 315 well-groomed, adequately-trained and highly-enterprising graduands who have completed their National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in various disciplines needed for the Nation’s socio-economic development, have acquired at least a vocational skill each at the centre for Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition (CESA). Out of the total number of graduands 598 have distinctions, 5, 332 Upper credit, 8, 268 Lower Credit and 2, 117 Pass Classifications’, he noted.
Mr Sogunro also commended the Lagos State government for its robust support to the development of the Polytechnic. He specifically applauded the State government for the increased subvention to the institution and commended the State government for timely release of funds to the institution.
He also thanked the governor for its intervention in bringing an end to the 7-month industrial dispute that almost brought the entire institution to its kneels.
‘Finally, I want to acknowledge the immense support of Mr. Governor, most especially in bringing to an end, the six-month- long industrial crisis which engulfed the Polytechnic in 2019. I also acknowledge the support of the Deputy Governor, the speaker and Honourable members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the special Adviser to the Governor on Education, the Head of Service, body of Permanent Secretaries and MDAs, most especially the office of the Special Adviser on Education (OSAE) family, who are always there for us’.
‘Our appreciation also goes to members of the immediate past Governing Council, Management, Academic Board, Staff and students of the Polytechnic for their cooperation and support in the last fifty-seven (57) months’, he added.
Meanwhile, the governor also announced an automatic job offer and an option of LSETF Grant to Nkechi Alexandra Kingsley, the overall best graduating student from the Chemical Engineering Department. This was in addition to a cash reward of N250,000 presented to her, on the instruction of the governor.
