Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), yesterday, performed the ground breaking of a 160-seater lecture theatre at the School of Management Studies, Kano State Polytechnic.
Speaking at the occasion, President of CIBN, Dr Bayo Olugbemi, described the lecture theatre as a legacy project, said that it would be fully furnished with ultra-modern gadgets.
“The edifice, which will be known and called ‘The CIBN Bankers’ Hall,’ will serve as the meeting point for training and development of future bankers.
“This project is our modest contribution to the development of banking and finance education in Nigeria, and, by extension, our support for the economy,” he said.
Olugbemi said that the ground-breaking ceremony marked the endorsement and acknowledgement of the contributions of the polytechnic management to the country’s educational development.
He said that the objective of the programme was to strengthen and deepen banking and finance education by infusing professionals into teaching and learning processes.
“The linkage programme, which currently features 68 tertiary institutions in Nigeria, commenced in the North-West zone, with a collaborative agreement between CBIN and Kano State Polytechnic, on June 20, 2021.
“The Governing Council of the institute resolved to have a learning legacy project in linked institutions across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria,” he said.
Olugbemi said that the institute would continue to encourage the students and provide information from time to time.
He called on all relevant agencies and regulatory institutions in education sector to facilitate a review of the curriculum of banking and finance in higher institutions.
In his remarks, Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Kabir Bello-Dungurawa, described the donation of the facility as a major milestone in the annals of the institution.
According to him, the gesture is not only a consolidation of the long-standing relationship with the institution, but also, a further demonstration of CIBN’s commitment to the development of professional education in Nigeria.
“Our efforts to modernise the institution will be impossible without the active support of CIBN.
“Globally, partnership and collaboration in education is increasingly seen as vehicle for growth and development of tertiary education,” he said.
Bello-Dungurawa appealed to other professional bodies and non-governmental organisations to emulate CIBN’s gesture by addressing some of the challenges facing the nation’s tertiary institutions, especially in the areas of classrooms, hostels and offices.
Speaking at the occasion, Gov. Abdulllahi Ganduje of Kano State thanked CIBN for the project which he termed historic, promising that his administration would continue to support educational institutions in the state.
Also, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, thanked the institute for the gesture and urged the students to see it as their own property.
The traditional ruler also urged the students to concentrate on their studies so as to be of immense benefit to themselves and the country.
