President Bola Tinubu has approved the conversion of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) into a university. The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a visit to the institution on Friday.
Dr. Alausa noted that the process to complete the transition is underway, following Tinubu’s swift approval.
“The rector said some minutes ago that the staff, students, and management of the college have been praying and fasting that it be converted to a university.
“Somehow, you have kind of ambushed me, but I must let you know that when I discussed the issue with President Bola Tinubu, he did not waste time in approving. I am just waiting for the memo and other necessary protocols from the appropriate quarters,” he said.
He acknowledged YABATECH’s contributions to the country’s academic and technical development, noting that the institution is well-prepared for the upgrade.
“This school is a legacy, and with over 200 staff members holding doctorate degrees in various fields, it is more than ready and fit to become a university. All the credit for this should go to the president, who loves education and is concerned about giving the best to the youths who are our future leaders,” he added.
Dr. Alausa further noted that the Tinubu administration is committed to strengthening technical, vocational, and entrepreneurship education. He said this effort is aimed at reducing the increasing migration of Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad, commonly referred to as the “Japa Syndrome.”
“We are not taking the issue of artificial intelligence, robotics, coding, and others with levity. We know that if our youths are good at those things, they can be in Nigeria and be working for firms in many parts of the world, and they will be earning foreign exchange. That will help stem this Japa of a thing, where people would travel abroad to do menial jobs,” he stated.
During his visit, Dr. Alausa also inaugurated several projects and expressed satisfaction with how the school management maintains its facilities.
“I commend you for pursuing excellence, and we need innovation and investments in technology for development, and I can assure you that the federal government would back you up,” he said.
Earlier, the institution’s rector, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul, noted the importance of upgrading YABATECH to a university, emphasizing its role in technical and vocational education. He stressed that the institution aims to become a leading university in this field rather than just another addition to the existing ones.
“While we are praying that we become a university, we don’t want to become just one of those universities.
“We want to be a university of technical and vocational education that would bring innovation and also solve societal problems and challenges and contribute greatly to the advancement of our dear country. We have the manpower, and we just need the support of the government in this regard,” he said.
