The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, on Friday, said President Bola Tinubu has approved the conversion of the Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, to a university.
He disclosed the news to the management, staff, and students
of the college during a working visit to the institution.
“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,” he stated.
Alausa, who went around the college to inaugurate and
inspect some projects, expressed satisfaction with the maintenance culture of
the management that has kept most of the facilities in good shape 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 added.
He stressed further that one of the reasons the Tinubu
administration is focusing on technical and vocational education and adding
entrepreneurship to it is to stem 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.
He noted that for over three decades, Nigeria abandoned
technical and vocational education and focused on producing graduates who are
always after white-collar jobs, but that the focus has now changed.
“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 opined.
Earlier, the rector, Dr Ibrahim Abdul, said with over 200
PhD holders in its services, YABATECH was more than qualified 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 stated.
Abdul reeled out the various achievements of his
administration and said the management would not relent in raising the stakes
higher.
The Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Funso Afolabi,
thanked the minister for the visit and solicited his support in getting their
demands met.
The bill that would state the change in status of the
college and the new name it would bear is expected to the sent to the National
Assembly for passage and presidential assent.
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