MAPOLY Partners KEGITE Club, Set For Nigeria’s First Tertiary Institution Cultural Centre
ABEOKUTA – Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, is poised to make history as the first tertiary institution in Nigeria to host a purpose-built cultural centre. The landmark facility is to be constructed by the KEGITE Club.
This development follows a pledge of institutional support by the Rector of the Polytechnic, Arc. Dr. Babatunde Adekoyejo Jolaoso, during a courtesy visit by the Supreme leadership (Comradium) of the KEGITE Club, to the Polytechnic’s Management.
The visit culminated in a firm commitment by 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 project.
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.
He emphasized that no higher institution in the country has previously hosted a dedicated cultural centre of this nature, adding 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.
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.
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.
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.
He identified Art and Industrial Design, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Mass Communication and Architecture as key potential beneficiaries of the project.
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 Art & 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 production.
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.
Since its expansion across Nigerian institutions of higher learning in 1974, the KEGITE Club has grown to 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.
