Kwara Poly to Resume March 2 After Closure Over Student Protest

Academic activities will resume at Kwara State Polytechnic on Monday, March 2, following approval by the state government to reopen the institution after weeks of shutdown.

The decision was conveyed in a statement dated February 26, 2026, issued by the Registrar’s office and signed by Halimat Garba, Director of the Information Division.

The polytechnic was closed in January after students staged a protest over the use of campus facilities as a temporary orientation camp for members of the National Youth Service Corps. The management had also declared a three week break to accommodate the reopening of the camp, a move that drew criticism from students who cited academic disruption.

According to the statement, staff and students are expected to return to campus promptly and comply with the resumption directive. Management thanked members of the institution for their patience and cooperation during the closure and expressed hope for a smooth completion of the first semester of the 2025/2026 academic session.

Protest and Aftermath

During the January protest, students were seen carrying placards to express dissatisfaction with the decision. In a video circulated by The Informant247 TV, security operatives fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

In response to the unrest, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq set up a three member panel to investigate both the immediate and underlying causes of the protest. The committee was chaired by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, and included the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Nafisat Buge, and the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare, Dr. Mrs Mercy Olufunke Shittu.

The panel was given two weeks to submit its report. The governor also directed the Rector, Engr. Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, to step aside pending the outcome of the investigation, with the most senior Deputy Rector appointed to act in the interim.

The NYSC permanent orientation camp had earlier been relocated from Yikpata in Edu Local Government Area to the polytechnic campus due to security concerns in parts of the state.

While the school prepares to reopen, the government has yet to make public the findings of the investigative panel. The fate of the suspended Rector also remains uncertain as the institution resumes academic and administrative activities.