Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has converted the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and two other state-owned tertiary institutions to multi-campus institutions
He said the main campus of the Ambrose Ali university would be in Ekpoma while the two new campuses would be located in Oredo and Owan federal constituencies
Obaseki announced the conversion over the weekend during the education policy Town Hall meeting convened by the state Ministry of Education.
“For Oredo, the campus would focus on technology and engineering while Owan campus would focus on agriculture and natural resources”.
The governor also announced the upgrading of the State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi and its two other campuses in Agenebode and Uromi into a degree-awarding institution.
He said, “We have the main campus in Iguoriakhi, while the two other campuses are located in Uromi and the third one in Agenebode.’
The governor explained that the campus in Iguoriakhi is almost completed while that of Agenebode and Uromi would be captured in the next budget.
According to him, the state’s College of Education is also converted into three campuses with the main campus located in Abudu while others will be situated at Igueben and Afuze.
“Abudu campus will focus on basic and early childhood education, the main campus in Igueben will focus on secondary education while Afuze will focus special, physical and health education,” he said.
He said the new policy was designed to ensure that people across the three senatorial districts in the state had access to quality tertiary education.
Speaking further the governor also announced the disarticulation of junior secondary school from senior secondary school beginning from the next academic session.
“The new system of education in the state will be basic education, which is a merger of primary and junior secondary education; and senior secondary school”
Earlier in her presentation, Dr Joan Osa-Oviawe, the state Commissioner for Education said the meeting was meant to generate a revised education policy, that would be organic and have the input of the people.
She said over 2000 teachers had been recruited and trained on technology-based innovative teaching and learning techniques at primary and junior secondary schools. She added that another 12,000 had applied for placement into secondary schools in the state.