Dr. Wahab Ademola Azeez in his review of his first four years as the Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, considered as primus inter pares having pioneered the establishment of the Technical Teacher Education programme in Nigeria in1967 enumerated his modest achievements.
Apart from achievements, Azeez
also listed his strategic plan to entrench the national technical vocational training and skills acquisition for national development.
He expressed appreciation to the
former administration of President
Buhari’s administration for the support given to education despite the economic crisis in the country through the remarkable impact on tertiary education, especially through the encouraging TETFUND intervention support.
Azeez listed accomplishments
during the first four years including
relative peace and stability of academic sessions over the years amicably through dialogue and peaceful negotiations.
“The College Administration has
continued to give adequate attention
to the protection of lives and property
on campus; and provision of social
amenities to enhance the quality of
life significantly through massive illumination of the college environment with solar-powered lights to supplement the irregular public power supply by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
“Others are procurement of more
generating sets to increase productivity and efficiency of staff and increase the number of boreholes sunk to meet the demand for water supply in the college.
Hostels have constantly been renovated for students to make their stay comfortable and safe.
“Full accreditation by our regulatory agency the NCCE at the last accreditation exercise carried out in the College and uninterrupted academic calendar outside government closure of schools and COVID-19 holidays.
“We have expanded the frontiers
of academic programmes by introducing Marketing Education and
Entrepreneurship Education in the
School of Business Education.
Also, arrangements have been concluded for another affiliation with the Lagos State University (LASU) to run some other programmes on a part-time basis leading to the award of Bachelor Degrees in Science, Vocational-Technical and Business Education Programmes.”
He disclosed that the college under
the current administration demonstrated the relevance of public/private partnerships in education by establishing two directorates called the Centre for Vocational, Technical and Entrepreneurship Development
(CeVTED) and Centre for Endowment, Development, Advancement
and Alumni Relationship (CEDAAR).
“CeVTED has trained and certified many outsourced members of the public in diverse entrepreneurial skills and about 1,172 students across our NCE I, II and III students are undertaking training in different entrepreneurial skills of their choice.
On the physical development of
the college, he said, “The directorate
also viably secured funds from Senator Oluremi Tinubu to meet indigent students’ needs and more from other philanthropic individuals like Messrs. Ododo Owodeha Ashaka and Tolulope Abiola as accommodation subsidy for an indigent student.
Emphasising the need for intervention in Technical Vocational areas of training, he said the college remains committed and determined to put the country on progressive and accelerated speed as far as Technical Vocational Education is concerned.
On his plan for the next four years,
the provost said, “We shall put fabrication of teaching and learning equipment and tools and improvisation of materials on our priority list in order to reduce the cost of procurement of these items.
“We shall use the existing human
capital and facilities of the College
to generate more income to augment
the support of the government and other funding agencies.
“Collaborate with foreign experts, institutions and partners in the areas of training of our staff and students, especially in the areas of exchange programmes in technical skills and training.
“Emphasis would be placed on
digital and technological training of
staff and students to meet the
demands of the modern workplace.
Training of staff will be given priority to promoting productivity and effectiveness in our college.
“We shall work towards generating our power energy that can serve the academic community to increase our productivity in all ramifications.
“We shall invest and produce our alternative power energy by partnering with experts in Renewable and Solar Energy Power and Infrastructure.
He added, ” These include Wind energy, Solar energy, Biomass energy, Biofuels, etc. We shall encourage our scholars and researchers to go for training in these energy areas for the ultimate benefit of the College and country.”