The management of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic (Formally Known as Abia State Polytechnic), has introduced monthly stipends for students of its Department of Welding and Fabrication as part of efforts to encourage technical education and expand practical industrial training within the institution.
The initiative also includes a scholarship award for the department’s only female student, a move the Polytechnic described as part of its commitment to promoting inclusivity and supporting women in technical fields.
The Rector of the institution, Christopher Kalu, disclosed this during the Polytechnic’s monthly Academic Board meeting held on Wednesday at the institution’s auditorium in Aba.
According to the Rector, the Welding and Fabrication Department has evolved beyond conventional classroom learning into a productive industrial unit actively involved in large-scale fabrication projects serving both government agencies and private individuals across Abia State.
He revealed that the department currently fabricates waste bins distributed across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state, while iron doors produced by students are also being utilized in several government projects.
The Rector further stated that the department has expanded into the production of commercial agro-processing equipment, including garri processing plants and oil processing machines, which are now being purchased by entrepreneurs and business owners across the state.
He explained that the monthly stipends were introduced to motivate students and reward their active involvement in practical fabrication work while undergoing academic training.
“Our goal is to build a system where students do not only learn theoretically but also acquire hands-on industrial experience that prepares them for self-reliance and job creation,” he stated.
Kalu also expressed optimism that the institution would soon emerge as a leading centre for welding and fabrication technology in Nigeria.
Speaking during a tour of the department, one of the fabricators, Udodirim, listed several machines currently being fabricated at the Polytechnic. These include cassava grinding machines, cassava processing machines, kernel crackers and separators, fibre separators, hammer mills, cabinet dryers, block moulding machines, corn shelling machines, feed mixers, boilers, and oil press machines.
Also speaking, the Chief Fabricator of the institution, Clement Nnamdi, credited the transformation of the department to the administration of the Rector.
According to him, the department was previously dormant before the current management revived it through increased fabrication activities and student participation.
“This department was inactive before the present administration came on board. Since the Rector assumed office, the department has attracted several fabrication projects, including waste receptacles used across the state, TETFund fabrication projects, and agro-machinery production,” he said.
He added that the department now operates almost round the clock, with students and staff fully engaged in various production activities.
Clement further disclosed that the Rector had directed that many facilities used within the institution should be locally fabricated by the department, including seats installed at the new theatre hall and several structures at the Polytechnic’s permanent site.
He described the development as a major milestone in repositioning the institution toward practical innovation, technical excellence, and self-sustaining industrial production.