Kogi Poly Rector Calls for Stronger North Central Collaboration on Tertiary Education

The Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Professor Salihu Sanusi Avidime, has called for stronger and sustained collaboration among education stakeholders across the North Central region to accelerate the development of tertiary education.

Professor Avidime made the call on Thursday, August 20, 2026, during the 2026 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Town Hall Meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Kogi State Government House, Lokoja.

The meeting was convened by Dr. Hassan Abdulrahman Ocholi, a member of the TETFund Board of Trustees representing the North Central geopolitical zone.

Themed “The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Its Impact on Tertiary Institution in the North Central Geopolitical Zone,” the meeting brought together key stakeholders to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and prospects of tertiary education within the region.

The Kogi State Polytechnic Rector commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration's efforts to reposition the education sector through strategic investments and sustained TETFund interventions.

He noted that continued investment in tertiary education would play an important role in developing human capital, improving infrastructure, strengthening academic capacity, and creating better learning environments across the country.

Professor Avidime also commended the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, for what he described as his continued commitment to education and support for tertiary institutions in the state.

According to the Rector, the collaboration between the Kogi State Government and federal education agencies has created opportunities for sustainable institutional development and improved learning conditions across the state.

He further praised Dr. Ocholi for initiating the Town Hall Meeting, describing it as a timely platform for education stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions on the future of tertiary education in the North Central region.

Professor Avidime said the initiative could help strengthen institutional collaboration and promote discussions capable of attracting meaningful interventions to tertiary institutions across the region.

He added that the meeting had the potential to support the development of critical infrastructure, expand academic interventions, and strengthen the alignment of tertiary institutions with sustainable federal development programmes.

The Rector described TETFund interventions as important investments in Nigeria's human capital, noting their contributions to infrastructure, academic development, and institutional capacity building across tertiary institutions.

Professor Avidime, on behalf of Kogi State Polytechnic, expressed the institution's readiness to collaborate with TETFund, the Kogi State Government, and other tertiary institutions in the North Central region to advance the objectives of the Town Hall Meeting.

He stressed the importance of sustained collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective advocacy in unlocking greater opportunities for infrastructural development, academic excellence, and institutional growth across the region.

The meeting was attended by government officials, traditional rulers, and chief executives of tertiary institutions from the six North Central states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The statement was signed by John Amos Onimisi, Acting Coordinator, Directorate of Public Relations and Protocols, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, on August 21, 2026.