The federal government on Saturday inaugurated two hostels worth N550 million at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State.

The construction of the male and female hostels was sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund), 2020 special intervention.

Inaugurating the hostels, Ifeanyi Ubah, member of the Senate Committee on Education and TETFund, said the National Assembly would continue to work with the executive to improve the nation’s educational institutions.

Mr Ubah, representing Anambra South Senatorial District, said the National Assembly would also provide the necessary support to TETFund by enacting legislation that would advance tertiary education in Nigeria.

“Aside from support for physical infrastructure and provision of equipment at the institution, TETFund has sponsored 101 lecturers from the polytechnic for their Ph.D programmes in foreign and local institutions at a cost of N487,527,656.10.

“TETFund also sponsored 60 lecturers for Masters Degrees in both foreign and local institutions at a cost of N293,102,460.00, while 90 staff have been sponsored for conferences locally and abroad at a total cost of N111,471,159.50,” he said.

Mr Ubah urged the polytechnic’s management to judiciously utilise the facility for the educational and vocational development of the students.

Also speaking, Sonny Echono, executive secretary, TETFund, said the project would address security concerns in the polytechnic and provide requisite infrastructure for the students’ well-being.

Mr Echono, represented by Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Babatunde Olajide, said the fund was committed to ensuring the sustenance of funding to all public beneficiary institutions.

“In line with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, TETFund will ensure that our institutions attain a high global ranking in the delivery of academic content,” he said.

Earlier, Francisca Nwafulugo, rector of OkoPoly, said the inauguration of the hostels was a step in the institution’s quest to accommodate more students within the polytechnic and enhance their security and well-being.

(NAN)