The Federal Polytechnic Bida in Niger State on Wednesday said it had concluded arrangements to introduce 16 new courses.
The Rector of the institution, Dr Abubakar Dzukogi, made this known after receiving the Africa Meritorious Service Award by the Africa Leadership Transparency Initiative (ALTI) in Bida.
Dzukogi listed the new courses to include welding and fabrication, taxation, insurance, mechatronic, pharmaceutical technology, nutrition, leisure and tourism and computer engineering.
Others are horticulture technology, financial mathematics, library and information technology, local government studies, industrial and labour relation and crop production technology.
He said that the courses would begin in the 2016/2017 academic session of the institution.
He added that “we are adding 16 programmes; we have done all the paper work and the regulatory body will soon be coming to assess our resources so that we can start immediately.
“If things go according to plan, we should start running the new programmes when the new session commences later in the year,” he said.
The rector dedicated the award to staff and students of the school, adding that it would spur him to greater things.
In his remarks, the ALTI President, Mr Mike Olorunfemi, said that the award was in recognition of the rector’s giant strides since he assumed work about a year ago.
He said that the group conducted performance evaluation and assessment of administrators of tertiary institutions in the country and Bida Poly came out on top.
“The rector has repositioned the school and initiated laudable projects and we are happy to identify with this man of excellence
“We hope that by the time he completes his tenure, he will have taken this institution to its desired height.” (NAN)