President Bola Tinubu has approved the conversion of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) into a university.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known during his visit to the institution on Friday.
Dr. Alausa said the process to upgrade the institution has already started after Tinubu quickly approved the request.
“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.
The minister praised YABATECH for its contributions to education and technical training, saying the school 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 also said Tinubu’s administration is focused on strengthening technical, vocational, and entrepreneurship education. He noted that this would help reduce the trend of Nigerians leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad, commonly called 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 inaugurated several projects and praised the school management for maintaining its facilities.
The rector of YABATECH, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul, also spoke on the importance of the institution’s upgrade. He said YABATECH aims to be a leading university focused on technical and vocational education, rather than just another university.
“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 added.
