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Minister of Education, Dr. Moruf Olatunji Alausa, on Friday, announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved the transformation of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) into a university.
Dr. Alausa, who disclosed this during his visit to the college to inaugurate and inspect key projects and interact with its staff and industry partners, noted that the staff, students, and management had eagerly awaited this change.
According to him, “The rector mentioned earlier that they have been eagerly awaiting this conversion. While I wasn’t fully prepared for this announcement today, I can confirm that when I discussed the matter with President Tinubu, he quickly gave his approval. I am now just awaiting the official memo and necessary procedures from the relevant authorities.”
He emphasised the institution’s preparedness, noting that with over 200 staff members holding doctoral degrees in various fields, YABATECH is well-equipped to take this next step.
“This achievement is a testament to the President’s commitment to education and his dedication to ensuring that our youths, who are the leaders of tomorrow, receive the best opportunities,” he added.
The minister called for a shift from the traditional white-collar jobs to essential Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEMM) as key areas for Nigeria’s development.
He said the nation’s tertiary institutions have long failed to equip students with life skills, resulting in a workforce that lacks the technical expertise necessary for modern industrial growth.
He explained that such a shift aligns with directives from President Tinubu who has mandated a nationwide push for extensive technical training over the next several years.
The minister expressed concern that youths have continued to graduate without life skills saying that it is the reason for the high rate of unemployment in the country.
“With the government’s strong commitment to fostering a robust manufacturing and service sector, Nigeria’s economic future depends on building a skilled workforce in these critical fields,” he stated.
The minister noted that despite the country’s growing population and the two million students applying to higher education institutions every year, fewer than one million students are currently enrolled in federal institutions, with less than 200,000 pursuing technical education.
In the light of these challenges, Alausa proposed solutions, including the expansion of existing courses, innovation and the integration of online training programmes offering international certifications in fields like software development, AI, and machine learning.
These short-term courses, he argued, could be completed in as little as six to eight months and would enable students to secure high-paying jobs with international companies, particularly in tech hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.
He highlighted the potential for Nigerian students to earn salaries in the range of $3,000 to $4,000 per month, providing them with significant financial independence and reducing the need for migration.
Alausa called for a reimagining of higher education institutions as hubs for innovation and research, capable of generating revenue through intellectual property, partnerships with industry, and a strong alumni network.
He urged the college to collaborate with private investors to address challenges like accommodation shortages, emphasising that these partnerships would alleviate the financial burden on the government.
“Government alone cannot do it,” he stated.
The minister stressed the importance of visionary leadership and the need for long-term thinking when making decisions about the education system.
He expressed confidence that, with the government’s commitment and strategic changes, Nigeria’s educational landscape would undergo a transformation, creating a future that benefits not only today’s students but also generations to come.
In his remarks, the Rector of the College, Dr. Abdul Ibraheem, expressed excitement about the minister’s visit saying that some of the projects align with global best practices.
He noted that 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 ( TVE) 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.
Ibraheem reeled out the various achievements of his administration and said the management would not relent in raising the stakes high.
The Chairman, Governing Council of the College, Prof. Funso Isola Afolabi, emphasised on some of the things that the college is doing differently such as building up new models and practices for technical education, research and collaborative research for society, for administration and e-evaluation, promotion of critical thinking and ICT skills, spatial anchoring which created its Epe campus, among others.
Funmi Ogundare
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