YABATECH RECTOR GIVES 20 JUSTIFICATIONS FOR RENAMING IT YABA TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL UNIVERSITY TO MAINTAIN SCHOOLS ACRONYMN

YABATECH RECTOR GIVES 20 JUSTIFICATIONS FOR RENAMING IT YABA TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL UNIVERSITY TO MAINTAIN SCHOOLS ACRONYMN

• By Admin
• COLLEGE
• Jul 11, 2025 03:07 pm

Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr (Engr.) Ibraheem Abdul has given twenty justifications for the transformation of the college to a University, stressing the need to preserve the institution's new name as Yaba Technical and Vocational University to reflect and maintain the institution’s historical acronym as Yabatech.

He gave the justifications in his address at the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND's one day Public Hearing, on the conversion of the college to Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies, Yaba at Abuja.

" We are submitting a memorandum asking the national assembly to champion the transformation of the college into a University and fast tracking its legislative process and the endorsement to maintain the acronym of Yabatech by naming it as Yaba Technical and Vocational University, a specialised institution". 

The institution according to him, "is great in terms of infrastructure and personnel. 

"We have over 2,000 staff, over 50 of them being PhD holders, and we have infrastructures that are available to support the university structure of the college. This in effect will enable the National Assembly to champion this historic transformation", he revealed 

On the justifications, Dr. Abdul hinged on the historical significance of college, founded in 1947, with the distinction of being Nigeria's first tertiary institution. Its transformation into a university is not just symbolic but recognizes over seven decades of national service in which the University status will honour Nigeria's educational history and reaffirms the country's commitment to preserving and upgrading its foundational institutions

The Rector identified the college as a National TVET Leader that has consistently been at the forefront of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Nigeria.

The college, he said, produces industry-ready graduates and has been a model for other polytechnics. 

Transitioning it to a University of Technology offers a scalable and mature platform to deliver advanced technical degrees without compromising TVET ideas.

Speaking on the institution’s preparedness, Dr. Abdul disclosed that with over a hundred accredited programs, qualified academic staff, and robust quality assurance mechanisms, the college will not just be starting from the scratch. 

"The institution has the laboratories, workshops, and classrooms to support university-level teaching and research, requiring only targeted upgrading and not wholesale construction"; he added.

The Rector, on bridging the skills gap, elucidated that the Nigerian labour market suffers from a significant mismatch between what industries need and what institutions produce and upgrading Yabatech will enable it to offer university-level education in emerging fields like AI, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing thereby addressing critical skills shortages.

"As a university, Yabatech will be better positioned to establish research institutes, expand its innovation hubs, and incubators and engage in applied research with industry, generate patents, and contribute directly to Nigeria's technological development", Dr. Abdul shed more light 

The Senate Majority Leader, Senator, Bamidele Opeyemi, who sponsored the Bill transforming Yaba College of Technology into a University of Technology and Vocational Studies, in his presentation at the public hearing said the college is the Premier institution in Nigeria and her conversion will be of no financial implication.

The chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Muntari Muhammad Dandutse who expressed his appreciation to all the critical stakeholders for their large presence at the public hearing , including submission of memoranda to the Senate, promised not to disappoint them on all decision reached at the meeting. 

The critical stakeholders at the public hearing with a firm and unanimous voice approved the transformation of all the six institutions put up by the Senate Committee and urged the national assembly to fast track the legislative process of the transformation. 

 

 

 

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