NANS Demands Upgrade of Gateway Petro-Gas Institute to Polytechnic, Petitions Ogun Government

In a decisive bid to reposition vocational and technical education in Ogun State, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has formally urged the Ogun State Government, under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun, to convert the Gateway Industrial and Petro-Gas Institute (GIPI), Oni, into a fully recognized state polytechnic.

According to student leaders, the current monotechnic structure of the institute heavily restricts its growth, limits student enrollment, and narrows the academic pathways available to its graduates. NANS contends that transitioning the institute to a polytechnic will pave the way for robust National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) accreditations, allowing the institution to award National Diplomas (ND) and Higher National Diplomas (HND) across broader fields of study.

Establishment records indicate that GIPI was originally set up to supply specialized middle-level manpower for Nigeria's expanding oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors. However, student stakeholders argue that the institution's massive potential remains underutilized due to its restrictive specialized status, which often alienates prospective students seeking versatile technical qualifications.