President Bola Tinubu has approved the conversion of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos State into a university.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the decision during his visit to the institution on Friday, where he shared the news with the college’s management, staff, and students.
Dr. Alausa explained that the approval came swiftly after discussions with the president, noting that YABATECH is more than qualified due to its substantial number of PhD holders among the staff.
He commended the institution’s efforts in maintaining its facilities and encouraged further investments in innovation and technology.
Alausa said:
“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.
“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”.
The minister also touched on the government’s commitment to boosting technical and vocational education, highlighting its role in addressing the “Japa Syndrome” by equipping youths with skills for global job markets.
The institution’s rector, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul, emphasized that the new university will focus on technical education to address societal challenges.
“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 stated.
The next step is for a bill to be presented to the National Assembly to formalize the change in status and grant the institution a new name.
