By Gabriel Chy Alonta
No fewer than 107 Senior Officers of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, have commenced an intensive training on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) organized by the Governing Council and management of the institution.
The training, Orient Daily gathered, covered computer appreciation such as Desktop and file management, Introduction to Microsoft, PowerPoint presentation, Printing Technology, Microsoft Excel, Data Management, amongst others.
The four-day exercise was specifically designed for Deputy Registrars (DR) and Principal Assistant Registrar’s (PAR) of the polytechnic to retool their competencies in ICT and enhance their work output, this paper reports.
Speaking on the development, the Chairman of the Governing Council and initiator of the training, Mallam Kale Kawu, expressed satisfaction at the level of participation of the categories of officers slated for the exercise. He assured that more staff would be enrolled in subsequent batches.
Kawu pointed out the need for continuous training and retraining of staff especially on ICT, noting that the world was tilting towards Information and Communication Technology. He said the polytechnic would continue to take the lead in digital learning, hence the need for all staff to acquire requisite ICT skills.
“I am happy that the exercise has commenced in earnest and that officers concerned are responding. This and many more are part of the Council’s efforts to reposition the institution for the 21st century.
“Every Deputy Registrar should have a certain level of knowledge of use of the computer. As heads of various units, there are some confidential documents they need to type by themselves to reduce leakages of information and sometimes speed up service delivery. So it’s a good development.
“I also commend the management of the polytechnic led by the Rector, Engr Dr. Francisca Nwafulugo, for taking the giant strides of sustaining a high class ICT centre and skilled staff that are conducting this training”, Kawu said.
In her remarks, the Rector, Dr. Nwafulugo, said that other categories of staff would soon join the training, while promising to provide a conducive atmosphere for more professional training in the polytechnic.
Nwafulugo said her administration had provided opportunities for various trainings both internationally and locally for many staff through Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) sponsorships.
She noted that, “it is only by regular acquisition of knowledge, training and re-retraining especially in modern technology that the institution would grow. I will make sure I combine this with my desperate push for staff and students welfare”.
The first female rector of the polytechnic promised to continue to encourage cross fertilization of ideas, and thanked the Council for their cooperation.