Ex-Unilag VC urges FG to upgrade polytechnics and colleges of education

A don, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, on Friday urged the Federal Government to upgrade the nation’s polytechnics and Colleges of Education, in order to enhance quality education at all levels.

Ibidapo-Obe gave advice while delivering a Lecture at 15th Matriculation Ceremony of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun for the 2016/2017 Academic Session.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lecture had as its theme: “Attaining Global Relevance and National Socio-Economic Advancement through University Education.”

According to him, the upgrading of the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education would offer the nation more degrees that would help to improve its technical manpower and also develop the national economy.

The don explained that access and quality of education had become a major challenge in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

“Parents want their wards to go to the universities to have a career but there are not enough spaces to accommodate all the admission seekers.”

Ibidapo-Obe attributed the underfunding of tertiary institutions by the Federal Government to the myriad of challenges hindering infrastructure development in the universities.

He noted that the quality of education was not falling but that the standard was rising because most Nigerian graduates who went to other nations usually excelled in their various fields.

Ibidapo-Obe, however, advised the Federal to Government to be disciplined in tackling corruption in the country.

“Corruption has been the bane of infrastructure development in the nation’s universities because the money that was supposed to be used in building infrastructure was usually embezzled by some of the leaders,’’ he said.

Ibidapo-Obe stressed the need for the Federal Government to invest more in the educational system, if the nation would attain global relevance and became one of the top 20 economies by 2020.

Dr David Oyedepo, the Chancellor of the institution, said that everybody believed that the greatest potential of the average African was in leadership.

Oyedepo said the university came into existence as result of the passion for change, which involves the revolution in education.

The chancellor said that sound education was a sure foundation for every great nation.

He noted that the problem of the nation was not essentially religious, but in some of the leaders running the affairs of the country.

Earlier, Prof.Aaron Atayero, Vice-Chancellor of the institution, said that the Matriculation offered the university the opportunity to inject a new generation of leaders who would proffer solutions to current national challenges.

Atayero, however, congratulated the new students because out of the numerous candidates that applied for admission.

He also commended their parents for bringing their wards to the university that was working tirelessly to become one of the top ten universities worldwide.