The Federal Government Has Upgraded Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Ogun To University. Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Now Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUTECH).
The National Universities Commission, NUC, has approved the conversion of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology, MAUTECH.
The approval for the Ogun State-owned institution was granted on Monday in Abuja.
The Executive Secretary of NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, announced the approval during a meeting with the governor of the state, Ibikunle Amosun, and his technical committee.
According to him, MAUTECH becomes the 45th state-owned university, 85th public university and 153rd university in Nigeria.
He noted that Ogun State is the home of several universities imparting good quality education.
“NUC is worried because some state governors established state universities and abandon other institutions in the state. But the two universities owned by Ogun State are doing well. ”
The state also owns Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun.
“NUC is concerned about the sanctity, quality and integrity of degrees acquired by the students,” Mr. Rasheed has said.
“Our qualities are international, we want to create graduates that are familiar with our culture, traditions, history, science and also be citizens of the world.”
He added that JAMB, TETFUND and NYSC will be informed of the creation of the university.
In his remarks, Mr. Amosun explained that the university is a product of evolution as it will be built on one of Nigeria’s leading polytechnics, MAPOLY.
He noted that the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, has approved the creation of a new polytechnic for Ogun, to be situated in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.
“We are ready for the projects because we have been setting funds aside for this as education is one of the five cardinal programmes of my administration,” the governor stated.
He pledged that the new university will take off with modern facilities.
Speaking at the event, the Registrar of the joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, who is also an indigene of Ogun State, described the development as good but added that the institution needs to have a university culture.
According to him, the greatest need of the new university will be students’ hostels.
“When you create 1000 bed space and look forward to creating 2000 more, then you have a fantastic university. Likewise, when you spend N1.5 billion in Ipokia, the Polytechnic is running smoothly,” Mr. Oloyede said.
A former Executive Secretary of NUC, Peter Okebukola, who is a member of the technical committee for the new university, described it as “a model for providing creative innovative solution”.
Mr. Okebukola said one of the courses in the institution’s curriculum is Cyber Security, to help in addressing the problems posed by hackers all over the world.
“About 60 per cent of Nigerian graduates are employed and a graduate with a first-class degree of second class lower from our universities can compete globally,” he said.
