The Federal Government has inaugurated two modern hostels with a combined worth of N550 million at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State on Saturday.
The construction of these male and female hostels was made possible through the 2020 special intervention fund provided by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Ifeanyi Ubah, a key member of the Senate Committee on Education and TETFund, presided over the inauguration and emphasized the commitment of the National Assembly to collaborate with the executive branch in enhancing the nation’s educational institutions.
Ubah revealed that, beyond physical infrastructure, TETFund has sponsored numerous academic initiatives, including sending 101 lecturers from the polytechnic for Ph.D. programmes, with a total expenditure of N487,527,656.10.
Additionally, 60 lecturers were sponsored for master’s degrees at a cost of N293,102,460.00, and 90 staff attended conferences locally and abroad, amounting to N111,471,159.50.
Ubah encouraged the management of the polytechnic to use the new facilities judiciously, focusing on the educational and vocational development of the students.
Speaking on behalf of TETFund, Sonny Echono, the executive secretary, highlighted the broader impact of the project.
He emphasized that these new hostels not only address security concerns within the polytechnic but also contribute significantly to the overall well-being of the students.
Represented by Babatunde Olajide, Director of the Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Echono assured continued funding support to all public beneficiary institutions.
He outlined TETFund’s commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda, aiming to elevate institutions to high global rankings in academic content delivery.
The rector of Oko Poly, Francisca Nwafulugo, expressed her enthusiasm for the inauguration, stating that the new hostels mark a crucial step in the institution’s ongoing efforts to accommodate more students while prioritizing their security and overall well-being.
