Bida Poly to execute 3 projects worth N600m under TETFund intervention

The Federal Polytechnic, Bida, says it plans to execute three projects valued at N600 million under thec2017/2019 TETFund intervention.
Dr Abubakar Dzukogi, the Rector of the polytechnic said this during the foundation laying of the projects on Sunday in Bida.
Dzukogi said the projects were to ensure the provision of befitting structures to improve teaching and learning in the institution.
“The projects include one storey building of a lecture theater comprising eight lecture halls with 200 seating capacity.
“We expect that each hall would be constructed at the rate of N133 million which will be completed within 24 months as the polytechnic is expected to inaugurate them in two years’ time,” he said.
Similarly, he said that the Central Multi-Purpose Laboratory which he described as first of its kind in the polytechnic was the brain child of the incumbent ASUP Vice Chairman, Mr Umar Mohammed in the Department of Science and Laboratory Technology.
“The central multi-purpose laboratory project is expected to cost N172 million and will be furnished with N38 million and is expected to be completed within 24 weeks,” he said.
According to the rector, a Computer Based Test (CBT) centre will be constructed within six months with 500 seating capacity at the sum of N201 million.
He said that the centre would be furnished with N49 million making the total cost of the three projects to be N583 million.
Dzukogi expressed satisfaction with the approval of TETFund special intervention for other projects after completing many others in the last five years of his administration.
He urged the contractors to be up and doing by ensuring the completion of the projects within the time frame as the institution monitoring team and external supervisors would ensure their delivery at the designated time.
Dzukogi explained that the polytechnic had move from the 12th position to 5th in ranking of Nigerian polytechnics, saying that it would sustain thevstandard until they reached the first position.
He said that the institution was greater than any individual hence the need to embrace peace and peaceful coexistence so as to move it to a greater heights.
He revealed that only 40 per cent of its students have accommodation on campus which he said was a security challenge not only to the students but to the authorities.
“We have approached property developers to come and invest in the provision of hostel accommodation while we would continue to count on TETFund interventions in this area,” he said.
While commending TETFund for its numerous interventions, he called for more support in the area of campus accommodation to enable the institution to depopulate its students residing off campus by building male and female hostels for them on campus.