11th April, 2014
Sulaimon Mojeed-Sanni
The Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH, would be closing all its satellite campuses across the country by 2015.
This was disclosed by the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Abdulazeez Abioye Lawal, at the 22nd convocation ceremony of the institution held at its permanent site in Ikorodu, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria. A record 14,920 students, the highest since the inception of the school in 1977, graduated Thursday.
According to the Rector, this became necessary owing to the directive of National Board for Technical Education(NBTE) that the Polytechnic should close all its annexes by 2015.
“This had necessiated the mopping up of all outstanding results, so that students with outstanding courses could retake them within the grace period given by the NBTE,” he said.
Lawal also noted that the institution is committed to their programme of accelerated development.
“We have not only consolidated on the polytechnic’s legacy of development, we have indeed expanded our scope of operations, re-engineering our structures and intensified physical development on the campuses of the polytechnic.”
While calling for more State government funding, the Rector in his speech highlighted some of the project the institution’s reliance on Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFund) has achieved; construction of 700-Seater Auditorium in the School of Agriculture, construction of One-storey block of classrooms in the School of Engineering, construction of Banking and Finance Department block in the School of Management And Business Studies, procurement of books and sundry items/equipment for various departments in the Polytechnic amongst others.
The Moderator of the Polytechnic, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, said the government would increase its funding to education, noting that education is the most important factor for achieving the full developmental potential of any society.
“Laspotech has always had a special place in our hearts not just because it is a Lagos State institution but because of the achievement recorded over the years, in particular, the progress made in the school of technology,” she said.
She also advised the graduating students to act with pride and honour has they represent the polytechnic in their future endeavours.