The Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute (NKFI) of Vocational and Advanced Technology, Lokoja, Kogi State, has secured full accreditation for all its programmes from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
The Rector of the Institute, Dr. Charles Williams, disclosed this on Sunday in Lokoja.
He said the accredited courses include Automotive Mechatronics, Welding and Fabrication, Electrical/Electronic Technology, and Computer Software Engineering.
According to Williams, the institute has also recorded a remarkable 500 per cent increase in student enrolment within three years.
“NKFI has witnessed a 500 per cent increase in enrolment, from 40 students in September 2022 when I assumed office to over 900 in September 2025,” he said.
He added that the institute had introduced new programmes such as Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Robotics, as well as developed distance learning options to support remote academic activities.
Williams further highlighted other notable achievements, including a 200 per cent increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), revamped infrastructure, enhanced campus security, and the deployment of the institute’s official website and academic portal.
He said several new directorates and units had been established, including those for Student Services and Academic Planning.
The Rector also revealed that NKFI had signed over 10 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with various institutions to foster collaboration in research, resource sharing, and fabrication. Partner institutions include Kogi State Polytechnic, Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), and the African Development Study Centre (ADSC).
He added that the institute trained over 250 youths across eight different vocations and provided them with free starter packs under the Kogi Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition (KOYESA) programme.
On future plans, Williams said NKFI had secured a permanent site and was working to establish a part-time studies centre at Obajana, where the Dangote Cement factory is located.
“We have developed key policy documents, including an academic and strategic master plan, Vision 2030,” he added.
Williams commended the Korean government for its continuous support in student and staff training through various capacity-building initiatives. He noted that such collaborations align with NKFI’s mission of advancing vocational and technological education in Nigeria.
He also expressed gratitude to former Governor Yahaya Bello for appointing him as Rector and lauded Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for sustaining the institute’s vision of empowering Kogi youths with relevant skills in vocational and advanced technology fields.
