The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved the conversion of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) into a university
Alausa disclosed this on Friday during a working visit to the institution, where he addressed the management, staff, and students.
“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 stated.
He emphasized that YABATECH, with over 200 PhD holders among its staff, is well-equipped to transition into a university.
“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 about 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.
During his visit, Alausa inaugurated and inspected several projects, commending the college’s management for maintaining its facilities despite their age.
“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.
The minister also stressed that the Tinubu administration is prioritizing technical and vocational education, integrating entrepreneurship to curb 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 said.
He noted that for over three decades, Nigeria had neglected technical and vocational education, focusing instead on producing graduates who primarily seek white-collar jobs. However, he said the government is now shifting its focus to skills-based education.
“In Europe and other places, the focus has been on incorporating TVET to become a core aspect of their education system, and that is what we are doing now. We need education that would aid manufacturing and technological innovations and that would also lead to a robust private sector, which will drive societal growth and development,” he explained.
Earlier, the rector of YABATECH, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul, stated that the institution, with its strong academic workforce, is well-prepared to become a university.
“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.
The Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Funso Afolabi, thanked the minister for his visit and sought his support in meeting the college’s demands.
A bill formalizing the college’s conversion and determining its new name is expected to be sent to the National Assembly for passage and presidential assent.
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