The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has announced that President Bola Tinubu has given the green light for the conversion of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) into a full-fledged university.
During a working visit to the college on Friday, Alausa highlighted that the institution is more than ready to transition into a university, noting that it has built a strong foundation over the years.
He described YABATECH as an enduring legacy, poised to make even greater contributions to higher education in Nigeria.
He 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.”
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The Minister toured the institution to officially inaugurate and inspect various projects, expressing satisfaction with the management’s commitment to maintaining high standards.
“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.
Alausa emphasised that one of the key reasons the Tinubu administration is prioritizing technical and vocational education, along with entrepreneurship, is to tackle the growing issue of 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 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 said.
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