The Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin was established by His Excellency, the then Military Governor of the State, Col. David Bamigboye (Rtd). The decision to establish the Polytechnic was announced during the launching of the four year development plan in 1971 in agreement with the policy of the Federal Military Government on training and man power supply as contained in the second National Development Plan (1970-1974).
The idea of Kwara State having its own College of Technology was first mooted by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) during his visit to the State in July 1970. At that time, he expressed the wish to upgrade the Government Technical Training College (G.T.T.C.) to a full College of Technology.
The following reasons were given to justify this:
- The establishment was provided for in the Four-Year (1970-1975) Development Plan.
- It will provide an avenue for meeting the National Manpower requirements.
- Similar Institutions had been existing and more were still being approved in the country.
- The peculiar position of Kwara State in Nigerian Higher Education was a pointer to the need for a State owned College of this nature.
PHILOSOPHY AND OBJECTIVES
According to the original document containing the proposal for the establishment of the College, the philosophy of the Colleges:
To combine commercial production of goods and service with training and to train a new generation of technicians and technologist whose distinctive attributes would be self-reliance and preparedness to set up their own business either individually or in cooperative ventures.
Furthermore, it was expected that the Production Units of the College must be self supporting.
The document on the establishment of the College also divided its objectives into General, Technological and Educational Objectives as follows:
General Objectives:-
- To promote and accelerate economic development of Kwara State as a component of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ipso facto, the economy of the Country.
- To ensure adequate representation for Kwara in the Nigerian Institutions of higher learning by providing cheaply and efficiently a Centre where students can be given the best pre-University preparation.
- To serve as a Centre of educational excellence.
Technological Objectives:-
- To keep abreast of all technological developments
- To produce technicians/technologists who are able to adapt foreign imported technologies to suit local raw materials.
- To promote and encourage the study of technology based disciplines.
- To emphasize self-reliance and the improvement of indigenous technology.
- To encourage in its graduates, a scientific and regional approach to life in general by exposing them to the ideals of objectivity and balanced thinking.
Educational Objectives:-
- To strive for excellence in education through acceptable curricular that are designed to produce well-groomed graduates.
- To endeavour to expose students to such educational standards and programmes that are designed to improve their competitive advantage.
- To enquire sufficient facilities, both physical and human and rationalize their use with a view to giving the best training to its students.
- To encourage meaningful interaction between staff and students.
- To encourage its staff to contribute to learned Journals/Publications and also create an atmosphere conductive to publication of textbooks, reading materials, scientific enquiries and inventions for the greater glory of the Polytechnic in particular and that of the State and National in general.
GOALS OF THE COLLEGE
It was the goals of the founding Fathers of the College to make it the first of its kind in the Country. In anything else, the College was planned to be a Centre of Excellence.
The excellence of the proposed College was hinged on four factors namely:
- The combination of commercial production of technical training so that all the technicians produced through this process should have acquired skills and technologies in a production atmosphere: and they will ready for productive employment by themselves or other employers of labour.
- Making most departments in the College self-supporting.
- Maximum use of such physical facilities as laboratories, workshops and classrooms.
- Provision of residential accommodation, kitchen and staff. The College was expected to sign a contract with a catering company from whom students and others can buy meals if and when they wish.
FUNCTIONS OF THE COLLEGE
According to Section 5 of the Kwara State Polytechnic Edict of 1987, the general functions of the Polytechnic are as follows:-
“To provide for studies, training, research and development of techniques in arts and language, applied science, engineering, management, commerce, education as well as in other spheres of learning”
Moreover, for the purpose of carrying out the above stated functions the Polytechnic is to provide facilities for activities which include the following.
- Course of Instruction (full time and part time) leading to degrees, diplomas certificates and other distinctions in scientific, technological, managerial, professional and such other subjects.
- Course of Study: training and research in arts languages and sciences for the purpose of entry requirements into Universities or other institution of higher learning.
- Special training courses whether leading to distinctions or not, taking into account at all times, the requirements of the State Government and the manpower needs of the country.
- Work in the development of technology.
- Conferences, seminars, study groups and the like activities.
- Such other activities as may in the opinion of the Council serve promote the objectives of the Polytechnic.