Graduate Unemployment: FPI makes entrepreneurship mandatory for graduation.
* Matriculates over 4,000 students.
ATABOR BAGANA
In its avowed commitment to the training of students that will become self reliant and to create jobs, the Federal Polytechnic Idah FPI , has charged students to focus on enterprenurship courses alongside their main course of study as a requisite for graduation.
The Rector , Dr. Yahaya Baba Usman gave the charge over the weekend during the 37th matriculation ceremony of the institution held in Idah, kogi state.
Dr.Usman disclosed that the Polytechnic from inception has kept faith with its motto, ” technology for self reliance” and assured students that they will graduate as an all round innovators and entrepreneurs providing solutions to unemployment rather than seeking for jobs.
He said the 37th matriculation exercise was a remarkable one as the management has made entrepreneurship mandatory for all disciplines, hence , it should be given needed attention, as it is critical to graduation.
“Today’s Matriculation Ceremony is the Second that I will preside since my appointment as the Rector in December, 2022. I therefore, appreciate the Almighty God for His guidance, wisdom, and the grace for us to move forward from where it was about one year ago to its present level of success.
“As you may know, and as our academic tradition demands in every Academic session, we are gathered here today to ceremoniously inaugurate over four thousand (4,000) new students, who are spread across the different programmes both at National Diploma and Higher National Diploma level for the 2023/2024 Academic session into the academic world of the Federal Polytechnic Idah.
” I therefore, wish to congratulate you, the new students, as well as your parents and guardians, on your successful admission into this Polytechnic – a great Citadel of Learning which, since its inception, has been committed to its motto of “Technology for Self Reliance”. My dear matriculating students, how lucky you are! Once again, congratulations.
“My dear matriculating students, I have a charge for you, let me urge you to quickly settle down from the euphoria of your successful admission into the FPI and start pursuing diligently the cause for which you are here, which is nothing less than acquisition of knowledge and technological skills.
“The Federal Polytechnic, Idah, where you are now has an age long dream and commitment to “build a first-rate Polytechnic for the training of discipline, self – reliant and innovative man–power for development”.However, while you pursue the knowledge in your various courses, make sure you do it with a focus on entrepreneurship, so you can be more useful to yourself and your immediate environment. This is why we place much priority on entrepreneurship as a course with a reasonable credit unit that every student must earn.
“This means that if you play off your time and opportunity at this initial stage, you may either not continue with us or end up with a certificate that you cannot be proud of. I charge you to go and marry your books. Begin to work hard. “Opportunity often goes around disguised as hard work”. Begin to study and research until you maximize your potentialities and opportunities. You are on a trench of your academic pursuit. Begin to fire until you become an academic Hero. Begin to learn to be at the right place, at the right time, and with the right equipment, you will surely be at the top” He advised.
He warned the students to shun
cultism, examination malpractices, indecent dressing, religious bigotry and intolerance, and other vices throughout their studies on this campus.
While calling on the students to guide jealousy the students comprehensive handbook, which details dos and don’t assured them of the commitment of the Management, not tolerate any act capable of jeopardising the peaceful co-existence of all members of the Polytechnic Community as well as the growth and progress of the Polytechnic.
He promise to continue to guarantee security of lives and property of all members of the Polytechnic community even as he will pursue a conductive environment for teaching and learning.
He said within one year in office, his administration ,has utilised the 2022 Revitalisation fund, meant to renovate hostels, procured two utility vehicles–a Hilux and a Bus- two industrial water Bore holes and reticulation of water on campus.
He added that the 2023 capital appropriation was used to construct roads, paved walk-way and landscaping of SOGAS and Administrative Block and the construction of drainage , while the 2023 special Intervention fund donated by the Federal Ministry of Finance was is being used in the construction of two hostels -Male and Female- which is now over 90% completion.
According to the Rector, within last year, this administration constructed a Multipurpose Laboratory (fully furnished) statistical Laboratory with 37 networked system, solar powered boreholes in the hostels and equipped the Polytechnic Library with modern textbooks, courtesy of 2023 Annual TETFund Intervention.
He added that the TETfund zonal intervention for the year 2023 will fetch skill acquisition equipment worth 130 Million, assuring the completion of the project in the next few weeks.
He commended the Top Management Committee TMC for approving the introduction of Digital certificates issuance and the phasing out of statement of Result as well as manual certificates issuance to graduating students with effect from the 2022/2023 Academic session, assuring that the
innovation will further re-position the Institution in attaining the dreams of the founding fathers in line with global best practices.
Other achievement of the Polytechnic under his watch, he said , include successful unbundling of the Science Laboratory Technology SLT department into four (4) new departments, secured resource inspection for six new programmes and reaccreditation of seven Programmes.
In addition to the existing programmes, according to the Rector, the Polytechnic is running ND Mechantronic Engineering Technology ND Welding & Fabrication Technology, ND Metallurgical Engineering Technology, ND Cartography, HND Environmental Biology/Microbiology, HND Chemistry/Biochemistry.
He noted that the Institution shall continue to remain focused and resolute in its unbeatable standard of academic excellence determined to be the best Polytechnic in the country and beyond .
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