Kogi Poly Strengthens Collaboration with University of Delaware on Human Capital Development, Agric, ICT »

In a bid to expose its students and personnel to latest trends in Agriculture, Vocation, Science and Technology, Kogi State Polytechnic, has boosted its international alliance with the Delaware Africa Caribbean Coalition (DACC) from the United States.

The renewed collaboration will also see the Kogi State Polytechnic and other state-owned tertiary institutions benefit from the exchange of fresh programmes, students and facilities with the Delaware State University.

This was part of the outcome of the meeting held on Monday, 7th February, 2022 between the Management of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, the officials from the DACC and the State Government at the Polytechnic main campus in Lokoja.

Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones who led the team to Kogi State Polytechnic said the meeting was further steps towards achieving positive collaboration following last year’s opening of relationship between Kogi State and the DACC.

Hon. Jones believed the alliance would aide students and youth in the state to be empowered in various aspects of human endeavour just as he expressed confidence that the collaboration would yield positive outcome between the two bodies.

Representative of Delaware State University, Professor Samuel Besong expressed gratitude to the Kogi State Government for the hospitality. He disclosed that his visit to Kogi State Polytechnic and other state-owned tertiary institutions was to create global exposure and to partner with institutions for exchange of ideas through Information Communication Technology, ICT.

Prof. Besong added that the DACC established the collaboration with the aim of exchanging new modules and curriculum with the institutions for the benefit of students and lecturers which would serve as platform suitable for training and adding additional skills to them in their chosen fields.

He however urged the Management of the Kogi State Polytechnic to tap from the opportunity of international areas of collaboration as the University would always be open to more alliances.

The Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mukadam Asiwaju Idris Ashiru in his remark, opined that partnership with the international community like DACC would produce human capital development with the aid of good leadership.

He stressed the need to solve Agricultural challenges in the country just as he disclosed that with the advent of modern technology, agricultural produce could generate multiple output of products to sustain the human race.

The Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Dr. Salisu Ogbo Usman who stated that the present global focus on Polytechnic education is vocational, practical, research and skills development added that the partnership would see graduates of the Polytechnic to be equipped with broader knowledge that would help them become employers of labour.

While appreciating the team for the visit and the opportunity that awaited the Polytechnic, Dr. Usman added that the institution would fasttrack process of signing the Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U) for the quick take-off of the exchange programs.

The highlight of the meeting was the visit of the delegation to the Art Studio, Textile Room, Sculpture House and Entrepreneurship Development Centre( EDC) domiciled at the main campus of the Polytechnic.

Other members of the DACC team on the visit were Mr. Anthony Inyama and Dr. Moses Timothy. The visiting team also included the Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Haruna Audu and Mr. David Apeh, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture.

All Principal Officers of Kogi State Polytechnic were in attendance, including the Dean, School of Art, Design and Printing, Mr. Pedro Akande; and Head of Entrepreneurship Development Centre ( EDC ), Mr. Ben Atanu.

Compiled by Uredo Omale