The frontline information communication technology institution among the four others in Ogun State, Gateway ICT Polytechnic situated in Eastern part of the state has been outstanding in academics and products into the labour market.
The guild of investigative journalist in Nigeria GIJN lead by the president Wale Abideen and Secretary General with four other members paid a courtesy visitation to the institution uninvited to take records of the brain behind the success of the institution in the usual ways of the association to all walks of life.
The association executives was received by the rector of the institution, Dr Oyeyinka Isiah, a computer science major and his assisted staffer who took the entourage round the campus amidst question and answering session.
Dr Oyeyinka Isiah worked at Yaba College of Technology as a lecturer, a PHD holder in computer science, he is a mathematician.
He was a director at Yaba College of Technology before he was appointed as the rector of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade Ogun State. An astute lecturer and a major in computer studies, a member of Computer Professional of Nigeria CPN , Computer Society of Nigeria CSN, Nigeria Society of Nigeria NSE among others. He has lectured in so many institutions in Nigeria like Lagos State Polytechnic based on his field.
As a computer programmer he has trained numbers of students to be a programmer and captain of industries.
In the course of discussion, he made some salient points known and revealed how he has been able to transform the institution.
What has been the brain behind the success of the institution since your inception as the rector of the polytechnic?
We are running exceptional program associated with ICT which is very rare among other institutions, by setting International institution as our yardstick , using this model has made us to be outstanding among others which we believe our students will be able to compete with the student abroad and survive in any academic environment. We are also putting in place measures to make our school to meet up with international standard in terms of our structures and facilities towards educational excellence.
We are trying our best because a good environment determined the type of product you will introduce. We are trying to developed the facilities to meet up with the international standard, we want to meet up with modern world and that is why we introduce so many courses like welding and fabrication, mobile engineering both software and hardware with well equipped laboratory for practicals.
According to Dr Oyeyinka:
“I don’t want to produce computer students that can not run programme, I don’t want to produced engineer that can not work on computer, I don’t want to produce electrical students that won’t know anything on electronics, so God is helping us in our own ways.” he added.
What are the programs you offer in this institution?
Last week we just introduced about 11 more programs again in the polytechnic, so we have all our program accredited and reaccredited by the NBTE , we have qualified lecturers who have been working with me as a team and I am grateful no negative records has been reported on them.
What was the population of ICT Polytechnic compared to now?
I met 900 students and now it is 5000 students, although it has not been an easy task but I give glory to God almighty and my academic staff to working tirelessly in promoting the image of the institution.
How many programs is available in the institution both at ND and HND level?
We have about 23 programs which i met only 9 when i came on board but we have increased it to the never I gave you which by the grace of God is still going to increase
While you were young, did you have it in mind to go into computer engineering or take it up as a career?
While I was young i desired to be an engineer because I was very good at assembling and dissembling electronic to the level of repairing it myself , which develops in me day by day, when i got admission I observed I performed better in mathematics than other subjects which makes me have zeal of being a mathematician.
“Without any exaggeration, Mathematician saves the world but in Nigeria if you are a mathematician it will be very hard for people acknowledge you,
So I went for computer science to join the idea together, But God have the final says.
All our program here in Saapade today is based on computer even to write exam we use COMPUTER BASED TEST and COMPUTER BASED EXAM even our form and results are online which we built the programme ourselves. You pay and do everything online, no cash receiving from any students.
Is there any other ways you create job opportunity for your students after they graduate?
We train our students to be able to compete with any standard in the labour market, both educational and mentally. We have center for Entrepreneurship development, there we teach them how to repair phones and computer, how to write a program, we are opening a centre soon with we a well equipped mobile app center which will be commissioned as soon as possible. We are training our students to be self reliant and be free from economic recession.
In What Ways Are You Gathering Money to support the state government in running the institution?
The government are trying their best in terms or subvention to assist us in running the institution, in short he has been a loving father who cares for his children. He disburses subvention every month, he always advise us to think out of the box, We can’t sit down and want government to give us money every time without putting our own quota of contribution.
What are the challenges since your inception?
No matter how much the government is giving out it can not be enough, so financial problem is number 1, because we need a lot a resources to build a standard school. The government has really tried so far because our money is regular monthly which has contributed a lot to our success, community challenges and students challenges, the first challenge i met on ground was not enough students and the school was yet to be known when we came but with the strategies put to place, we can record a lots of success today.
Is there any source of income apartments from Tuition?
There are many attempts to have funds from the federal government like TETFUND and others which we are still pushing to FG,
Nigeria Communication Commission, NCC gave us about 100 laptops years back and today it is 300 which we are always grateful for the intervention. We have Pure water, Block Industry factory on campus, Center for Entrepreneurship is coming out with big source of money program, Agricultural development to start production of farm products, we want to train people, we have a mini campus at Ayepe to increase our internal Generated Revenue IGR to maintain the institution.
What is the admission requirements for your new intakes?
You can only get admitted into this school through JAMB expect in the case of HND that have passed through that in ND before, Our tuition is very affordable for parents. No collections of additional charges from students is allowed
What is the state of student union and associations within campus?
The student union government SUG was suspended very long ago after some suspicious activities. After so many inquires, we discovered the students are naive and we taught it expedient to suspend the union for the main time.