By John Odunayo
Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan Ekiti and the Government Technical College, Ado Ekiti have begun moves on partnership as part of efforts to strengthen technical and vocational education.
The Chairman, Governing Council of the polytechnic, Prof. Adedayo Fasakin, made the disclosure when he led the institution’s advocacy team on a visit to the technical college to discuss possibilities of establishing a formal Memorandum of Understanding between the institutions.
A statement from the polytechnic’s Public Relations Officer, Martins Olowoyo, stated that “the MoU is anticipated to create a pathway for technical college students to transition into the polytechnic upon graduation, strengthening educational opportunities and career pathways within Ekiti State”.
Fasakin, who highlighted the importance of a strategic partnership between the two institutions, said “the Polytechnic hopes to serve as a feeder school for the college, enhancing admissions for technical college graduates”.
He also proposed that the polytechnic would utilize the College as a part-time training centre, focusing on technical, innovation, and engineering programmes to promote hands-on education and workforce development in the region.
Welcoming the team, the Chairman, Ekiti State Board for Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE), Hon. Kayode Babade, lauded the polytechnic’s leadership for pursuing such a forward-looking partnership.
Babade who conducted the team round the facilities at the College, expressed the board’s readiness to support and implement the MoU, noting the importance of collaboration to enhancing technical education.
The Rector, Ekiti State Polytechnic, Dr Sunday Ajeigbe, reinforced the Polytechnic’s commitment to making effective use of the college’s infrastructure and its potential to deliver impactful training.
He thanked the BTVE chairman and his team for their support and affirmed that the polytechnic would maximize the benefits of this partnership.
Following the discussions, the advocacy team also visited the Ekiti State Commissioner for Education, Dr Adebimpe Aderiye, who commended the partnership initiative and assured full support in formalizing the collaboration through an MoU.
A joint technical committee was expected to be constituted to finalize the details of the MoU, with the goal of fostering productive outcomes for both institutions.
The advocacy team included other principal officers from the Polytechnic, such as the Bursar, Mr Oludayo Awe; the Librarian, Dr Ayodeji Akerele; the HOD of Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Dr. A.J. Bamisaye: the Legal Adviser, Mrs. K.K Onipede; and some senior officers of the polytechnic.
