By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI – Federal Government  has approved an intervention fund of over N12 billion for the procurement of critical laboratory equipment and training of trainers in 51 polytechnics.

Similarly, government has also committed $150 million International Development Association, IDA, credit from the World Bank, for science and technology education post basic (Step-B) project, where the polytechnic sector remains a major beneficiary.

Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I, made these disclosures, weekend, in her address at the 16th convocation ceremony of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri.

She said: “Six selected polytechnics in the six geo-political zones are already enjoying N1.5 billion each, as a high impact Education Trust Fund, ETF, intervention, while 2,068 lecturers across the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education are benefiting from the academic staff post-graduate level training, with about 270 of them studying overseas.”

She added that government will build and equip one state-of-the-art laboratories in each of the six geo-political zones of the country for use by tertiary institutions. She said the intervention has reached an advanced stage.