KWARA POLYTECHNIC TO REOPEN MONDAY, MARCH 2, AFTER WEEKS OF CLOSURE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Kwara State Government has announced the reopening of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, with academic and administrative activities set to resume on Monday, March 2, 2026, following weeks of closure.
The announcement was made in a statement by the institution’s Acting Registrar, signed by Halimat Garba, Director of the Information Division, and obtained on Thursday.
“The Management of Kwara State Polytechnic wishes to formally inform the entire Polytechnic community that the Kwara State Government has approved the re-opening of the Polytechnic for academic and administrative work,” the statement read.
“All staff and students are therefore urged to adhere to this directive and resume at the Polytechnic promptly on the stated date. The Management appreciates both staff and students for their cooperation and understanding during the period of closure and looks forward to a productive and successful completion of the first semester 2025/2026 academic session,” it added.
The institution was shut on January 19, 2026, following a directive by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq after student protests over the use of the campus as a temporary National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp.
According to the Acting Registrar at the time, AbdulHafis Amin, the closure became necessary after tensions escalated during demonstrations against accommodating corps members while academic activities were ongoing.
“The Polytechnic had earlier been designated by the state government as a temporary NYSC orientation camp due to prevailing security challenges in the state. While previous batches of corps members were accommodated during breaks, the current orientation exercise coincided with full academic activities,” Amin explained.
Students were granted a three-week break starting January 19 to ensure a smooth NYSC exercise and prevent law and order breakdown. However, some students rejected the decision, arguing that they had just returned from the Christmas and New Year holidays, leading to protests on campus that escalated into clashes with security operatives.
Several students and staff, including the polytechnic’s Chief Security Officer, sustained injuries, while some officers reportedly exceeded their mandate by firing tear gas into parts of the campus, including hostels.
The Students’ Union Government condemned the use of force, insisting the protest was peaceful and driven by concerns over safety, welfare, and academic disruption. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state also criticised the handling of the incident and called for an independent investigation into the conduct of security operatives.
With the government’s approval for resumption, the polytechnic community is expected to return on Monday to continue academic and administrative activities uninterrupted.
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