Fostering Inter-Agency Relations: NIEPA Management Pays Strategic Courtesy Visit to Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji

ILE-OLUJI — In a concerted effort to enhance institutional governance and workforce efficiency within the education sector, the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA-Nigeria) has initiated a strategic capacity-building partnership with the Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji (FPI).

The collaboration was the focal point of a high-level courtesy visit by NIEPA’s Management, led by its Director-General, Dr. David Shofoyeke, to the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Ademola Iyanda Ebeloku, in Ondo State on Monday, 13th July, 2026.

Setting the tone for the engagement, FPI’s Deputy Registrar of Information, Protocol & Passages, Mr. Sanmi Enigbokan, formally welcomed the guests and introduced the Polytechnic’s management team. He highlighted some achievements of the polytechnic to include its rapid infrastructural growth, commitment to academic innovation, and the maintenance of a highly stable academic calendar. Furthermore, he proudly noted the institution’s zero-tolerance policy for social vices, highlighting the complete absence of cultism as a major testament to the dynamic and disciplined leadership of the Rector.

Delivering his official address, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Ademola Iyanda Ebeloku, described the visit as highly relevant, noting that it underscores the importance of collaboration among federal institutions and affirms the strategic relationship between both organizations. He emphasized that as sister organizations operating under the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), working synergistically is an administrative necessity.

In his remarks, the Director-General of NIEPA, Dr. David Shofoyeke, reaffirmed the Institute’s open-door policy for inter-agency collaboration. Highlighting NIEPA’s unique mandate—established in 1992 in collaboration with UNESCO-IIEP, Paris, to build the capacity of educational planners and managers—Dr. Shofoyeke identified localized staff training as a critical area of symbiotic benefit. He emphasized that FPI’s managerial cadre could seamlessly leverage NIEPA’s TETFund-sponsored specialized workshops right in Ondo, thereby optimizing financial resources.

Furthermore, to drive educational inclusion and address growing enrollment demands, the Director-General proposed the exploration of shared spatial infrastructure, suggesting that NIEPA’s highly conducive environment could serve as an accessible academic study center for the Polytechnic’s programmes.

The Rector warmly received the proposals, acknowledging the shared spatial infrastructure initiative as a forward-thinking solution to physical expansion constraints and a brilliant strategy to make technical education more accessible to the host community.

Reacting specifically to the capacity-building framework, Dr. Ebeloku expressed strong enthusiasm, noting that utilizing NIEPA’s administrative training expertise locally is a massive advantage. He agreed that the partnership would drastically reduce the logistical overhead, travel risks, and accommodation costs typically incurred when sending polytechnic personnel to distant cities for mandatory TETFund workshops.

The engagement was brought to a close by the Polytechnic’s Registrar, Mr. Gabriel Awe, who delivered the vote of thanks, commending the NIEPA leadership for a highly productive visit that promises to formalize a lasting, mutually beneficial framework between the two federal institutions.

Accompanying the Director-General on this strategic working visit were key officers of the Institute, comprising the Bursar, Mrs. Lolade Shittu; the Coordinator of the Library, Mr. Adeniyi Adetunji; and the Media Officer, Mr. Bodunde Tenabe.