How Governor Seyi Makinde’s Administration is changing the face of tertiary education in Oyo State

On January 17, 2023, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Oyo State-owned tertiary institutions paid Governor Seyi Makinde a ‘thank you’ visit at the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. While this may be seen as one of the political gimmicks for election season, the statements by the visiting leaders and members of the committee suggest otherwise. They clearly outlined what

Since taking office in May 2019, Governor Makinde’s administration has worked to advance tertiary education in Oyo State.

Speaking on behalf of the team, the JAC chairman, Mr Segun Oyewumi, talked about the interventions of Makinde’s administration in the tertiary institutions since assuming office in May 2019.

This includes payment of over N6.8 billion salary arrears out of the N8.6 billion owed them by the previous administration.

In his response, Makinde told JAC that his administration remained committed to resolving long-standing issues in the tertiary education sector. Prior to his assumption of office, the sector was plagued with various issues, including inadequate funding and a huge infrastructure deficit which led to incessant strike actions by staff and students of the institutions.

Governor Seyi Makinde made two major promises regarding the education sector during their campaigns in 2018/9. These are increased access to education, including tertiary institutions and sole ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). It is well known that Makinde’s government achieved its campaign promise of getting sole ownership of LAUTECH by November 2020.

To increase access to tertiary education, Makinde reduced school fees at the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, by 10% in 2020. School fees at LAUTECH were also reduced by 25% in 2021 after Oyo State had gotten sole ownership of the university. The government also ensured that students from each of the 33 local government areas in the state were given scholarships annually to study at the First Technical University, Ibadan. Not only that, but the government also awarded full scholarships to 136 students across 33 LGAs and 35 LCDAs at the School of Nursing and
Midwifery Eleyele, Ibadan, in January 2022.

Another way Governor Seyi Makinde has improved access to tertiary education is through infrastructural upgrades. Funding is key to building infrastructure. And so, to address the issue of inadequate funding, Makinde’s administration has been paying 100% subventions. It is on record that days to handing over power in 2019, the previous administration increased subventions to 100% even though for the 8 years prior, they had paid subventions of 25-50%.

Increased funding from the Makinde-led administration meant that state-owned tertiary institutions could embark on capital projects to address the infrastructure deficit in these institutions.
Some of these renovations include that carried out in the State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Oyo Annexe reopened upon Makinde’s assumption of office in 2019 after 8 years of closure.

Another is the Polytechnic, Ibadan, where Governor Makinde’s administration allocated N100 million for capital projects in 2020. By 2021, the Oyo State Government funded the construction of the Seyi Makinde Office Complex to contain standard offices for 72 lecturers at the institution at the cost of N458 million.

Also in February 2022, after paying a working visit to the College of Education Lanlate, Makinde approved the release of N100 million for the institution’s infrastructural upgrade. Furthermore, in April 2022, Makinde commissioned the Seyi Makinde Innovation and Technology Hub at LAUTECH. The hub was built by the government collaborating with private sector organisations and includes new-age technology facilities for teaching and learning programmes such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

Still, on infrastructural development, Governor Makinde also commissioned the Central Laboratory Complex named after him at The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki in September 2022. Meanwhile, at the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa Makinde commissioned two blocks of 250-capacity classrooms in December 2022. Slowly but surely at each state-owned tertiary institution, capital projects are being executed to reduce the infrastructure deficits in these institutions.

The Makinde-led administration also adopted the multi-campus model for LAUTECH in early 2022 and commenced the construction of the Iseyin Campus of the university, funded with a N500 million take-off grant.

Another major issue that plagued state-owned tertiary institutions in Oyo State was the non-accreditation of courses. To address this, at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Makinde’s administration released N200 million for the accreditation of courses at the institution. As at September 2022, 35 courses were accredited at the institution. The government also facilitated the accreditation of over 20 courses for both National Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels at the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa. At the Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, Makinde’s administration provided the resources for the accreditation of 27 courses in January 2023.

Other issues plaguing the tertiary education sector included delayed convocation ceremonies. In April 2022, Makinde attended the LAUTECH convocation ceremony of graduands from 2015-2021. The issue of convocation of graduands was not limited only to LAUTECH. The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki had never held a convocation ceremony since its inception. In 2022, it also held a convocation of graduands from 2015-2020.

The icing on the cake for the Makinde administration in the tertiary education sector is the conversion of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo to a University of Education which was approved by the National Universities Commission in December 2022. This increased the state-owned universities from the 1.5 inherited by Makinde’s administration to 3. While some have doubted the capacity of the Oyo State Government to adequately take care of 3 state-owned universities, they only need to look at the story of LAUTECH which as Makinde once said, ended like a fairy tale. The university has been ranked the best state-owned university in Nigerian rankings every year since 2019. Even a 2022 UK ranking put LAUTECH as the best state-owned university in Nigeria.