MAPOLY Forges Strategic Partnership with KEGITES Club to Build Nigeria’s First Tertiary Institution Cultural Centre

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, is ready to make history as the first tertiary institution in Nigeria to host a purpose-built cultural centre to be built by the Kegites Club - a global campus-based socio-cultural association.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the green light for this development emerged when the Supreme leadership (Comradium) of the KEGITE Club paid a courtesy visit to the top Management of the Polytechnic led by Arc. Dr. Babatunde Adekoyejo Jolaoso.

A statement by the Head, Public Relations & Protocol of the Polytechnic, Mr. Yemi Ajibola, obtained by OTN News, states that the Kegites Club leadership visited the top management of the Polytechnic on Monday.

The Rector, during the courtesy visit, made a firm commitment on behalf of the institution to allocate a sizeable parcel of land within the campus for the proposed cultural centre, underscoring MAPOLY’s readiness to partner with the club on the historic cultural project.

While speaking on the significance of the initiative, Chief Oguntoyinbo Kunle Ogunmefun, a leading figure of the Ilya Olumo, described the project as unprecedented within Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape, emphasizing that no higher institution in the country has previously hosted a dedicated cultural centre of this nature.

He also added that the project is scheduled for completion within a 12-month timeframe.

Receiving the delegation, the Rector expressed his administration’s full support for the initiative and assured the club of the Polytechnic’s commitment to provide a parcel of land large enough to accommodate the proposed structure. 

 Expeditious Land Allocation Pledged

He noted that the land would be handed over expeditiously to enable timely commencement and completion of construction, reflecting Management’s confidence in the KEGITE Club’s capacity to deliver.

 Projects Completion/Inauguration As Part of Second Year in Office

The Rector further indicated that the successful completion of the cultural centre could serve as a flagship achievement marking the second anniversary of the current administration, signalling its desire to be closely associated with a project that promises to become a defining landmark on the MAPOLY campus.

 Project Deliverables

According to him, the proposed KEGITE Cultural Centre will not only promote and preserve cultural heritage but will also function as a practical training facility for a number of its academic departments. 

Arc. Jolaoso further stressed that some key departments in the Polytechnic such as: the Arts and Industrial Design, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Mass Communication and Architecture stand to benefit directly from the project given its relevance to those course.

He explained that beyond cultural preservation, the centre is envisioned as a live academic resource within an institution where hands-on, practical training is central to the polytechnic education model. 

For students of Arts & Industrial Design and Architecture, it will serve as a real-life creative design experience and construction case study; for Hospitality and Tourism students, a functioning cultural destination and heritage preservation; and for Mass Communication students, a ready-made environment for content creation and media productions.

This multi-departmental utility positions the proposed cultural centre not merely as a social or recreational facility but as a strategic investment in academic infrastructure, cultural/heritage promotion and preservation.

The KEGITE CLUB was established in 1974 and had since then expanded across Nigerian tertiary institutions, parading well over over 100 chapters nationwide, with international presence in the United Kingdom, India, and the United States of America. Despite this expansive footprint spanning more than five decades, no chapter within any Nigerian tertiary institution has previously constructed a dedicated cultural centre of this kind, placing the MAPOLY project as an unprecedented milestone in the club’s illustrious history.