Nigerian Newsday

By Lawal Dogara, Kaduna

Kaduna Polytechnic chapter of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has expressed support for the Federal Government on steps to convert the Kaduna Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology into full-fledged universities.

The union made its position known at a press briefing last week at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) media centre, Kaduna after an emergency meeting the union called to discuss the issue of the conversion.

"After an emergency congress of ASUP held at the Mohammed Dikko Lecture Theatre of Kaduna Polytechnic on Wednesday, the congress unanimously resolved to support Federal Government intention to convert Kaduna Polytechnic to a full-fledged university", the polytechnic ASUP chairman, Iliyasu Yusuf said.

The union however advised that "there is need to substantial staff development immediately, so that the quality of staff would be significantly raised in order to meet the level expected of staff of any university anywhere in the world".

The union also expressed a desire for the polytechnic to retain the national diploma (ND) programmes being run currently "to cater for the middle level manpower needs of the nation", just as it appealed to the committee constituted to handle modalities for the conversion exercise to do a through job".

Earlier in the week, the management of the polytechnic sent a message of appreciation to President Olusegun Obasanjo for facilitating the planned conversion of the polytechnic to an university.

The message which was signed by the Rector, Dr. Danjuma Ismaila Isah, said the polytechnic’s governing council, management, staff and students expressed their appreciation to the president on his approval on the upgrading and conversion of the polytechnic to a degree awarding university.

The message read further: "We in the polytechnic are appreciative of the tireless efforts of the Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili and all members of the Federal Executive Council on the efforts being intensified toward the consolidation of tertiary education in Nigeria.

"It is our belief that the consolidation process will take over educational level to a higher status and afford competent people in the sector to attain new heights in their various careers".

"It is equally our belief that the nation will now be properly positioned to gain from the expertise and experiences of those in polytechnic sectors, thereby bringing growth in all facets of our technological and socio-economic advancement".

The Federal Government announced its intention to turn the two premier polytechnics in Kaduna and Lagos respectively into degree-awarding institutions to take on the new name of City University as part of efforts to consolidate higher education in the country.