By Ademu Seidu
Lokoja, March 2, 2020
The Kogi Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones, has urged the management of the Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute of Vocational and Advanced Technology (NKFI) to embark on aggressive public sensitisation and publicity about the institute to boost the enrollment of students.
The Commissioner stated this during a facility tour to the Institute at Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja on Monday.
The Commissioner noted that the facility on ground at the Institute suggested that the state has great potentials, saying they cannot allow it to rotten away.
”We have something of this magnitude here but we are so quiet about it, and that is the reason I believe we have not excel as usual.
”But going forward, we have to make a lot of noise to create awareness of what we are having here; we need to devote the budget to publicity because nobody is going to do it for us”, he said.
He affirmed that the future of Nigeria’s economy is in vocational training which will be the major catalyst for any revolution Nigeria was going to have.
He stressed that the state was so lucky to have such kind of institute of great magnitude, saying ”we must do everything possible to ensure that this place is highly patronised.
”We must commit ourselves into it, we have no choice. The only choice we have is to embark on aggressive advertisement and publicity about the Institute.
He emphasised the need for the spirit of excellence to come into play, saying Korean people are known to be people of excellence. So, if they are partnering with us in any area, we can be sure that the spirit of excellece would definitely rub on us”, he said.
The Commissioner further charged the management of the institute to ensure that the spirit of Ebigo which the governor has been emphasising on, is practised in terms of admission and staffing at the institute.
He stressed the need to carry everybody along, saying ”all of us are stakeholders as far as Kogi is concern, that no part should be neglected or shortchanged”.
The Principal of the Institute, Mr Gabriel Okewu, who conducted the Commissioner round the facility, commended him for the visit, while thanking His Excellency, Gov. Yahaya Bello, for the release of fund towards the accreditation of all their five courses by NABTEB.
According to him, the released fund by the governor contributed tremendously to the takeoff of the Institute.
He mentioned the Courses offered by the Institute to include: NID Electrical/Electronics Technology, NID Welding/Fabrication, NID Networking & System Security, and NID Computer Engineering which are all 2 years courses, while NVC Automotive Mechatronics is one year.
The entourage of the commissioner include: the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Pastor Emmanuel Idenyi; Director, Tertiary Institution, Mrs Clara Bolu, among others.
