Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has pledged his support towards the hosting of the Nigerian Polytechnic Games by the Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin.

Governor Ahmed gave the assurance while declaring open the meeting of the council and Technical Committee of the Nigerian Polytechnic Games, at the Academic Conference Centre of the State Polytechnic, Ilorin.

The Governor represented by the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr Aminat Ahmad said his administration is passionate about sporting activities as it remains a veritable too for achieving unity in the nation.

Governor Ahmed noted that his government is proud of the State Polytechnic as the institution that had remained an active participant at the Games, saying that the state government would ensure that the institution is given the hosting right to host the next NIPOGA games in 2018.

He appreciated TETFUND for its continued support to the development of the institution and lauded the management and staff of the institution for achievements recorded so far, pledging the continuous support of his government to the institution.

Unifying Factor

Earlier in his address, the President of NIPOGA and Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, Dr Shettimah Abdulkadri, said the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, would host the 19th edition of the games in September this year, while State Kwara State Polytechnic would host the twentieth edition in 2018.

Dr AbdulKadri appealed to the Federal and state governments to give maximum support to all polytechnics participating in the games, describing sports as a unifying factor that promotes the unity and progress of the country. In his welcome address, the Rector of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Alhaji Masud Elelu, said the State Polytechnic started the process to host the games in 2012 when the Federal Polytechnic Ede hosted the games, saying that the institution is determined to host the games in 2018.

Alhaji Elelu noted that the institution had drawn the strategic plan and put necessary facilities in place to ensure successful hosting of the polytechnic games, pointing that the state government had been supportive towards the successful hosting of the games.

The Rector later took the Governor's representative, members of the Council of NIPOGA and about fifty delegates from different polytechnics to inspect the facilities where he said all the facilities had reached 60 percent completion stage.

Alhaji Elelu disclosed that all equipment that would be used had been supplied.