Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) is set to recognise three distinguished Nigerians for their contributions to education, public service and professional excellence as it prepares to hold its 38th convocation ceremony.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele; and the institution’s accountancy graduate, Itunu Omotayo, will receive the college’s Fellowship honours next Thursday.
The Rector, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, disclosed this on Friday during a pre-convocation press conference at the institution in Lagos. He said the recipients were selected in recognition of their contributions to education, public administration, economic development and societal advancement.
Explaining Alausa’s nomination, Abdul said the minister had played a significant role in strengthening Nigeria’s education sector, improving access to quality education and advancing the Federal Government’s reform agenda.
He also highlighted Alausa’s involvement in securing presidential assent for the bill converting YABATECH into the Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies.
On Oyedele, the rector described him as a proud alumnus whose professional achievements and contributions to fiscal policy reforms reflect the institution’s capacity to produce individuals who can occupy important positions in national and global affairs.
He said Oyedele’s career demonstrated the value of technical and professional education in preparing people for leadership and national development.
The third recipient, Omotayo, will be honoured for her commitment to her alma mater, particularly her role in mobilising members of her graduating class to contribute more than N100m towards renovating the School of Management and Business Studies building.
Abdul described the intervention as an example of alumni loyalty and the importance of giving back to institutions that contributed to one’s development.
He added that the Fellowship honours were intended not only to celebrate outstanding achievements but also to inspire students and graduates to excel in their chosen careers and support their alma mater.
“The conferment of these Fellowship honours underscores the college’s commitment to recognising excellence, celebrating outstanding service and strengthening the relationship between the institution and individuals who have made remarkable contributions to society,” he said.
Meanwhile, the rector provided an update on the institution’s transition into a university, following President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the conversion bill.
He explained that the next step was the gazetting of the law, after which the Ministry of Education would conduct an institutional evaluation. The National Universities Commission (NUC) would subsequently assess and accredit the institution’s courses.
Abdul said the college had already established internal committees to prepare for the transition.
“The President has signed the bill. We expect the gazette to be released soon, then we continue with the Ministry of Education to do the necessary institutional evaluation.
“Then we move to the NUC for accreditation of courses. We are prepared. We have our internal committees on the conversion ready,” he said.
Beyond the planned honours and university transition, the 38th convocation will see the graduation of 10,886 students from the 2024/2025 academic session.
The graduands cut across the institution’s full-time, part-time and Centre for Open, Distance and Flexible e-Learning programmes.
A breakdown of their results shows that 361 students earned distinctions, 3,160 obtained upper credits, 5,696 graduated with lower credits, while 1,669 received pass grades.
The rector also announced that the overall best Higher National Diploma student, from the Department of Electrical Engineering, recorded a cumulative grade point average of 3.96. The best National Diploma student, from the Department of Mechatronics, scored 3.86. Their names will be announced during the convocation.
The convocation activities, scheduled to run from November 13 to 19, will also feature a lecture on November 17. The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, will deliver the lecture titled, “From Silos to Synergy: Reimagining Nigeria’s Tertiary Education System for National Transformation.”
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.