…Rector Awards Scholarships, Cash Gifts
Federal Polytechnic Orogun, Delta State, has once again proven itself to be a rising star in Nigeria’s higher education landscape, as two of its students emerged winners at a national engineering quiz competition.
The contest, themed “Applying Engineering Solutions to Tanker Explosion and Fire Outbreak”, was organized by the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers) and held on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the MOM Civic Centre, Warri.
Competing against the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) and the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Orogun Poly’s team, represented by Mr. Siemur Ohwavweoriete of Electrical/Electronic Engineering and Mr. Oyibocha Goodluck of Mechanical Engineering, clinched first position with a total of 47 points out of 50, beating PTI and FUPRE, who came second and third, respectively.
Their presentation, which focused on advanced fire-resistant tanker materials, real-time leakage detection, and emergency response technologies, was praised as both practical and groundbreaking, setting them apart from the competition.
Receiving the victorious students in his office on Monday, September 22, 2025, the Rector, Prof. Duke Okoro, expressed pride in the students’ performance, noting that their feat demonstrates the strength of the Polytechnic’s academic foundation despite being a relatively young institution.
“Honestly, I am short of words,” Prof. Okoro said with pride. “One would have thought we still needed many years to catch up with older institutions, but today, we are proving that age is not a barrier when the foundations are solid. With the quality of our lecturers, instructors, and technologists, this is the type of result you get. When your curriculum is enriched with industry-driven, practice-oriented content, excellence becomes inevitable.”
He described the students as “trailblazers who embody the core values of Federal Polytechnic Orogun- meritocracy, innovation, and excellence.”
“Our products are already making us proud and projecting the image of this young institution in the best possible light,” he added. “Their records show they are Distinction students, and we must continue to encourage them.”
In recognition of their performance, the Rector, on behalf of the Governing Council and Management, announced automatic scholarships covering tuition fees for the students to complete their National Diploma (ND) programme. He also personally awarded them ₦50,000 each, in addition to the ₦100,000 prize from the competition organizers.
“This is how we reward performance at Federal Polytechnic Orogun,” Prof. Okoro declared. “Excellence will never go unnoticed here. We want to raise a generation of innovators who will provide solutions to Nigeria’s toughest challenges.”
Responding on behalf of the duo, Mr. Ohwavweoriete, who is also the Course Representative for Electrical/Electronic Engineering, thanked the Rector and senior management staff for their support.
“We are grateful to the school for selecting us to represent the Polytechnic, and we thank God for helping us to win the competition. We are particularly motivated by the Rector upholding the motto of the school, ‘Innovate and be great’, which continues to inspire us to pursue academic excellence,” he said.
The Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers had earlier commended the quality of solutions presented by the Federal Polytechnic Orogun team, which included proposals for advanced fire-resistant tanker materials, real-time leakage monitoring systems, and emergency response technologies.
The win has not only brought prestige to Federal Polytechnic Orogun. Still, it has also positioned its students as emerging innovators and problem-solvers in the quest for safer engineering practices to tackle Nigeria’s recurrent tanker fire tragedies.
