Kwara Government says it will secure the boundaries of all its tertiary institutions to prevent any encroachment on their properties.
Hajia Sa’adat Kawu, the state Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, stated this during a meeting she held with the heads of the state-owned tertiary institutions.
Kawu said the state government would commence dialogue with the host communities of the institutions to ensure peaceful coexistence between them and the neighbouring communities.
She said the government would fence all the tertiary institutions, adding that the present administration in the state is committed to making the institutions fit to compete with their peers.
According to her, the state government will partner all the institutions to enable them to overcome their various challenges and noted however that each institution had its peculiar problems.
The commissioner said that the state government would also explore the possibilities of the institutions partnering with the private sector in order to progress rapidly.
Kawu also urged the institutions to look inward to increase their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), adding that the government will ensure prompt payment of salaries in the institutions and give them subventions.
Speaking earlier, Dr Musa Dasuki, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, called for loyalty from the institutions to the ministry.
He stated that the maiden meeting with the commissioner was to afford her opportunity to present her policy thrust and new ways to move the education sector forward.
In his remarks, Prof. Isiaka Mahmud, the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University (KWASU), observed that the meeting was a sign of responsiveness of the commissioner.
He said that KWASU was contending with various challenges including unmotorable roads, lack of adequate manpower, over-worked staff and lack of subventions from the government.
Also speaking, Mr Abdulz Jimoh, the Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic, listed the challenges faced by the institution to include lack of students’ hostels, adding that all students of the institution reside outside the school premise.
Jimoh stated that the institution lacked the necessary facilities and was saddled with the responsibility of paying workers’ salaries.
Some of the institutions that attended the meeting included International Aviation College; College of Education, Oro; College of Nursing, Oke-Ode; and Kwara State University (KWASU).
