Ogun government, on Wednesday, laid the foundation for construction of a skill acquisition and vocational training centre in Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project, which will gulp N245 million, is under the 2018 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the project, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in Ogun, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said that the training that would be taking place there would be in tandem with the modern trend.

He appreciated the institution for the choice of project, saying that it tallied with the Gov. Dapo Abiodun-led administration’s vision.

“The governor is so keen about technical and vocational education and training,” the commissioner said.

Arigbabu urged the institution’s students to know that vocational training was another way of revitalising the economy of the state and Nigeria as a whole.

He opined that the focus of the polytechnic was to develop the manpower that could meet the needs of the country, particularly in technical and technology aspects.

“Our hope is that the polytechnic here should be the one producing things that we need in terms of tools in the state.

“We should be taking them to other states and even exporting them. We expect that graduates of this institution would be able to do that,” he said.

According to the commissioner, “Right now, we are working with the World Bank to digitalise all our eight technical colleges and vocational training centres along with some other projects, with total package of about 250 million dollars.

“We have moved far and we have gone to our technical colleges. Needs assessment has been done. Focus discussion has also been done to find out the needs of the area where those technical colleges are situated.

“The project is called Ogun State Economic Transformation Project of World Bank. All the eight technical colleges will be revitalised and we are going to ensure they are equipped with modern equipment,” he said.

While commending TETFUND for sponsoring the project, Arigbabu called on the contractor handling it to deliver within the stipulated time.

Earlier, acting Rector of the institution, Dr Adeoye Odedeji, stated that the polytechnic was gradually migrating towards technical, vocational, education and training (TIVET) policy.

Odedeji explained that vocational and skill acquisition was capable of reducing unemployment in the society and turning around the economy of the country.

He said that the institution wanted its students to be dual- certificated, adding: “they will have certificate in academics and in any craft they choose,” he said.

Also speaking, the contractor handling the project, Mr Adeyemi Sanusi, assured that the project would be completed within six months. (NAN)