Gabriel Dike
Worried by the state of affairs of the education sector, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described education as the greatest weapon for social, political and economic engineering of any society.
Sanwo-Olu, who is also the Moderator of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) offered job to the overall best graduating, Nkechi Alexandra Kingsley from the School of Engineering. She graduated with a CGPA of 3.93 out of 4.0.
The governor made the observation at the 27th convocation ceremony of LASPOTECH in which 16, 315 graduates were conferred with National Diploma and Higher National Diploma for the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic sessions
Said he: ‘’No society develops without good investment in the education of its citizen, or without the enabling environment for innovative and progressive ideas to blossom.
‘’Here in Lagos State we are cognisant 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’’.
The governor observed that on the education landscape, polytechnics occupy an important role and also as the bastions of technological innovation and development.
‘’You are all aware that Nigeria is striving to join the league of industrialised nations. Federal and State Governments realise that industrialisation is a veritable path towards job creation, poverty alleviation, and sustainable economic growth.
‘’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’’, Sanwo-Olu stressed.
According to him, the state government would not allow LASPOTECH to lag behind in any way, adding ‘’our vision is to catalyse the development of a world-class tertiary institution that will produce graduates who know and are confident of their place in the demanding world of the 21st century’’.
He acknowledged the positive and supportive roles played by LASPOTECH management, under the leadership of the Rector, Mr. Samuel Sogunro, in sustaining the institution’s rich culture of academic excellence as handed down by the founding fathers, noting ‘’the quality of students graduating today is testament to the hard work that has gone into moulding them in knowledge and in conduct’’.
On Nkechi, the governor said after the completion of her NYSC, the state government would offer her job or grant to start a business of her choice.
Rector of LASPOTECH, Mr. Sogunro said 16,315 well-groomed graduates would be conferred with ND and HND diplomas. He disclosed that 598 obtained Distinction, 5,332 made Upper Credit, 8,268 recorded Lower Credit and 2,117 got Pass.
Sogunro commended the overall best graduating student, Nkechi Kingsley from the School of Engineering with a CGPA of 3.93 on a scale of 4.0.
He acknowledged the unending support of Governor Sanwo-Olu in bringing to an end, the six-month-long industrial crisis, which engulfed LASPOTECH in 2019.
The outgoing rector explained that his administration is poised to float 15 new programmes in ND and HND, stating ‘’these programmes, are before the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for consideration’’.
The rector made a passionate appeal to the governor to grant the necessary approval to transmute LASPOTECH to university status, adding ‘’we have what it takes for us to run a degree programme. If approved, we have decided to name it Lagos State Polytechnic University’’.
Sogunro stated that the polytechnic will confer honorary fellowship awards to two eminent personalities, Aare Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti and Alhaji Babatunde Rotinwa, Chairman, Lagos State Local Government Service Commission. He said the two personalities have proven to be sources of inspiration who are worthy of emulation.