Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has pledged his support towards the hosting of the Nigerian Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA) by the Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin.

Governor Ahmed gave the assurance at the weekend while declaring open the meeting of the council and technical committee of the NIPOGA at the Academic Conference Centre of the polytechnic in Ilorin.

The governor represented by the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Dr. Aminat Ahmad said his administration was passionate about sporting activities as it remains a veritable tool for achieving unity in the nation.

Governor Ahmed noted that his government was proud of the state polytechnic as the institution that had remained active participant at the games, saying that the state government would ensure that the institution was given the right to host the next NIPOGA games in 2018.

"I am pleased to note that your council would specifically do a facility inspection to determine the level of eligibility of this polytechnic to host the games and I want to reassure you that with what is already available, the polytechnic would not disappoint you as it has all it takes to successfully host the games", Ahmed reassured.

He added, "I will like to seize this opportunity to thank TETFUND for her continuous support to the polytechnic". Commenting on the multi-million stadium and sporting facilities fully supported by TETFUND, under construction in Kwara polytechnic, he said," I must also specially give kudos to the leadership provided by Alhaji Mas’ud Elelu, the Rector of the polytechnic and his management team.

"They are always up and doing and they leave no stone unturned with respect to the development of the polytechnic in all its ramifications". He reiterated that," No doubt, sporting activities remain the veritable tool for achieving unity in the nation. This is particularly so among the youths who form the bulk of our students' population nationwide". He appreciated TETFUND for its continued support to the development of the institution and lauded the management and staff of the institution for achievements recorded so far, pledging the continuous support of his government to the institution.

Earlier in his address, the President of NIPOGA and Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, Dr. Shettimah Abdulkadri, said the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, would host the nineteenth edition of the games in September this year, while Kwara State Polytechnic would host the twentieth edition in 2018.

Dr. AbdulKadri appealed to the Federal and state governments to give maximum support to all participating polytechnics in the games, describing sports as a unifying factor that promotes the unity and progress of the country. The governor also congratulated the new executive of the Student Union Government of the institution and advised that they should guide against any act capable of tarnishing the good image of the polytechnic. He however assured that his administration would do everything within its reach to ensure that students receive quality education.

He also told the students to always support the management of the institution and to see academic programme as their main objective in the school. In his address of welcome, the Rector of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Alhaji Mas'ud Elelu, thanked Governor Ahmed for providing enabling environment for teaching and learning.

Elelu also commended the governor for the financial and moral supports extended to the institution since he came on board as the rector of the institution. "Our school has received various supports from our governor and this has helped to transform the school", he said. He added that Kwara state polytechnic has been a role model to other tertiary institutions across the country, pr

The rector informed that the state polytechnic started the process to host the games in 2012 when the Federal Polytechnic Ede hosted the games, saying that the institution was determined to host the games in 2018.

Alhaji Elelu noted that the institution had drawn the strategic plan and put necessary facilities in place to ensure successful hosting of the polytechnic games, pointing out that the state government had been supportive towards the successful hosting of the games.

The rector later took the governor's representative, members of the Council of NIPOGA and about fifty delegates from different polytechnics to inspect the facilities where he said all the facilities had reached sixty percent completion stage.

Alhaji Elelu disclosed that all equipment that would be used had been supplied. In attendance at the meeting were NIPOGA members across the country, management and staff of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Student Union Government (SUG) of the Kwara State polytechnic and other guests.