… as moves to convert Yaba Tech, others to Federal University of Technology gather momentum
By Haruna Salami
Senate on Thursday bluntly told academic staff union of Polytechnics that they should either upgrade their academic qualifications or risk being flushed out.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund stated this when the committee engaged stakeholders in education sector at a public hearing on three bills aimed at transforming Yaba College of Technology, Lagos and Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun state to Federal Universities of Technology and Nigeria French Language Village, Ajara-Badagry, Lagos state to an Inter-University Centre for French Language Studies.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Sunday Not (Cross River) who re-presented the Chairman, Ahmad Baba Kaita (Katsina North) stated this at the public hearing.
Earlier, Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Femi Omokungbe said the entire Yaba Tech community is excited about the proposed transformation, but request the Senate to include six year moratorium for staff of polytechnic to upgrade themselves to meet the standard of the proposed University of technology.
However, this didn’t go well Senator Sunday Onor who chaired the public hearing, saying the polytechnic academic staff should note that a fundamental change will happen to their institutions. You are upgrade or you will be left out” adding “there will be no moratorium”.
Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, (Lagos West) who sponsored the three bills namely: The three bills are; “A bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Yaba, A bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Ilaro; to make comprehensive provisions for its due management and administration and for other matters connected therewith and A bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of the Nigerian French Language village as an inter-university centre for French studies and for other matters connected therewith.
Senator Adeola has lamented the massive explosion in Nigeria population estimated at over 200million, saying available admission Spaces are limited in absorbing people seeking for higher education at the university level.
According to the lawmaker, recent study on the subject of availability of spaces for university admission in Nigeria by “Population Institute Canada”, between 2010 and 2015, only 26 percent of the 10 million applicants to Nigeria tertiary institutions secured admission.
He said “They are all pursuant of one of my legislative agenda to enhance and develop educational institutions as well as human resources department in Nigeria”.
Justifying the bills, Senator Adeola said in Nigeria “We are yet to get to the point where we have enough admission Spaces in universities for our youth in gaining admission into universities for good education, particularly technology-based education, informed my sponsorship of the bills to upgrade two major existing polytechnics to full-blown universities of technology”.
He emphasised that the passage of the three bills is pursuant to one of his legislative agenda, stressing that it will advance the technological development of Nigeria as well as human resources development among the teeming youths.
His Royal Majesty, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, Olu Ilaro and A Bill for an Act Paramount ruler of Yewa land, Ogun state said the people of his community will do everything to support University of Technology, Olaro if the bill sails through and finally assented to by the President.
According to him technology is central to industrialisation adding that since Nigeria is lagging behind in in industrialisation, the need to embrace technical education as solution for industrialisation cannot be overemphasized.
