Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde has promised to continue to improve tertiary education in the state if re-elected for a second term as in the forthcoming election.
Makinde made the commitment at the 2022 International Students’ Day celebration with the theme: “Change Makers” on Monday in Ibadan.
The event was organised by the Office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Students’ Affairs, Victor Olojede.
Following his display of achievements, the governor pledged to ensure students' welfare, provide necessary facilities and infrastructure, and engage students in the classroom.
The governor advised the students to use their voter cards wisely as they did in the past.
Aside from sole ownership of LAUTECH, he said the administration would ensure that issues affecting students were promptly handled, including the reduction of school fees by 15 per cent, accreditation of courses for The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and bursaries.
“We will continue to ensure that you have no reason to protest. For three years, there have been no violent protests by students in Oyo State.
“And, if there is a need for a peaceful protest, we will continue to respect your right to peaceful protest, but we encourage dialogue,” Makinde said.
In her address, Professor Olanike Adeyemo, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnership at the University of Ibadan, encouraged students to identify problems they could solve in their surroundings.
Adeyemo, who is the Lead, Tsoriel Solutions Ltd., said: “Changemakers are those who are proactive, pioneering and passionate about their course.
“They are resilient and aren’t deterred by failure. We all should be finding home-grown solutions to socioeconomic challenges in Nigeria.
“Initial efforts should be directed toward unblocking our minds, changing our mindset.
“We must challenge the existing paradigms that led us into the rot we lament about; we should create novel ways to do business and life that positively impact our communities.
“Thus, igniting the “CHANGE” we desire to see, one changemaker at a time. Everyone has change-making in their DNA, it is just a matter of unlocking it,” Adeyemo said.
Earlier, Oloyede lauded the governor for fulfilling his promises to reposition education in the state.
In his remarks, he emphasized the state's numerous interventions in various tertiary institutions and the immense impact it has on education.
Makinde was awarded this portrait for his excellent performance by a student, Olorunfemi Oyasowo, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
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