YABATECH Varsity Status: Council Chair Declares Season Of Thanksgiving, Task Management On Future
The Chairman of the Governing Council of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Professor Funso Isolaowa Afolabi, has declared a new season of thanksgiving following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the bill establishing the Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies, Yaba, Lagos, describing the development as a defining moment in the institution’s history.
Afolabi said the development represented the convergence of divine providence, the Federal Government’s educational reform agenda, collective institutional interests and strategic leadership, while urging the College community to prepare for the responsibilities and opportunities associated with the transition.
The Council chairman made the observations in his address titled “Answering Tomorrow: Future-Facing Our Collective Pursuits of Higher Technical Learning and Practice in an Institution in Transition”, delivered at the third quarterly general meeting of the Governing Council.
He described the presidential assent as a major milestone in YABATECH’s institutional journey, stressing that the achievement should inspire renewed commitment to accountability, transparency, innovation, sustainable development and improved academic standards.
According to him, the transition was not an isolated development but the outcome of coordinated efforts involving government, the Governing Council, Management, the Academic Board, staff, students, professional unions and other stakeholders who share the vision of advancing technical and vocational education in Nigeria.
The Council chairman expressed gratitude to God, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly, more especially, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio Deputy President of the Senate: Senator Barau Jibrin, Senate Majority Leader: Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Speaker of the House: Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, relevant federal education authorities, members of the Governing Council, the Rector, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Abdul, Management, the Academic Board, professional unions, staff, students and stakeholders within Nigeria and the diaspora for their contributions to the institutional transformation.
He particularly acknowledged the importance of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda in creating an enabling policy environment for educational reforms and the repositioning of institutions to meet the country’s human-capital and technological needs.
Afolabi, however, emphasised that the anticipated change of status must not become an occasion for complacency, insisting that the institution must move decisively from celebrating the achievement to preparing for the demands of its new academic and administrative responsibilities.
“We are now ready to start answering tomorrow,” the chairman declared, underscoring the need for the College to translate its emerging university status into measurable improvements in teaching, research, practical training, staff welfare, student development and infrastructure.
He identified transparency and accountability in student admission and administration, staff recruitment and retention, technical operations, student affairs, professional union relations, academic administration, external collaborations, research, project monitoring, campus security and facilities management as critical areas requiring sustained attention.
The Council chairman said the Governing Council had adopted a range of governance and management approaches to address institutional challenges, including reforms, rebranding, networking, benchmarking, outsourcing, performance reviews, discipline and rewards, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, infrastructure rehabilitation and stronger partnerships.
He also highlighted the importance of research and development, publications, entrepreneurship, technical innovation, environmentally sustainable practices, value creation and the adaptation of global solutions to local needs.
According to Afolabi, the effectiveness of these measures depends on the Governing Council, Management and Academic Board working together in a common direction, with decisions guided by facts, professional standards and the long-term interests of the institution.
He said the College must sustain its historic leadership in technical education while embracing the institutional culture, academic expectations and operational demands associated with its transition to a university.
To assess expectations about the institution’s future, the chairman presented findings from a survey cited in his address, covering student training and funding, staff development and welfare, and facilities across the Yaba and Epe campuses.
The results indicated that 82 per cent of respondents in the student training, hopes and funding category anticipated improvement, while 71 per cent expressed a positive outlook on staff development and welfare. For facilities and buildings, 63 per cent expected improvement.
Afolabi interpreted the findings as an encouraging indication of confidence in the College’s future, while acknowledging concerns about stagnation and possible decline in some areas. He cautioned that the positive outlook should motivate further action rather than provide grounds for relaxation.
The findings, he said, reinforced the need to address infrastructure gaps, improve staff welfare, strengthen student support and ensure that the benefits of the institutional transition are felt across both campuses.
In a major recommendation, the Council chairman called for the immediate establishment of a Super Intelligence Force (SIF) to be headed by the Rector, with the Registrar serving as secretary and relevant members of the institution’s leadership providing the necessary operational support.
The proposed team, according to the address, would coordinate interventions to identify and resolve urgent institutional problems, monitor developments across the campuses and accelerate responses to issues capable of slowing progress or undermining performance.
He urged the Governing Council and Management to intensify their collaboration, deploy appropriate governance strategies and sustain a proactive approach to institutional challenges.
The chairman also stressed the importance of effective public relations and protocol in communicating the College’s achievements, managing stakeholder expectations and reassuring staff and students about the opportunities and responsibilities associated with the transition.
He concluded that every reform must be implemented sustainably, reminding members of the Governing Council that timely intervention and consistent follow-through are essential to securing the College’s future
