Yaba College of Technology will confer its Fellowship honours on the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa; Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele; and Itunu Omotayo, an accountancy graduate of the college at its convocation ceremony next Thursday.
The Rector of the institution, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, disclosed this on Friday during a pre-convocation press conference held at the college in Lagos.
Abdul said Alausa, Oyedele and Omotayo would be conferred with the honour in recognition of their contributions to education, public administration, economic development, professional excellence and societal advancement.
Speaking on Alausa’s nomination, the rector said, “His recognition reflects his contributions to the development of Nigeria’s education sector and his commitment to strengthening educational institutions, promoting access to quality education and advancing the Federal Government’s educational reform agenda.”
He added that the minister’s leadership placed him at the centre of efforts to reposition education as an instrument for human capital development, technological advancement and economic transformation.
He also mentioned Alausa’s role in getting President Bola Tinubu to sign into law the bill on the conversion of YABATECH to the Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies.
On Oyedele, Abdul described him as a proud alumnus of the institution, adding that his recognition was “a demonstration of the capacity of our institution to nurture individuals who go on to occupy strategic positions of responsibility and influence in national and global affairs.”
He said, “His professional accomplishments, contributions to fiscal policy reforms and role in advancing economic reforms in Nigeria exemplify the importance of technical and professional education in developing leaders who can make meaningful contributions to national development.”
For the third recipient, the rector said Omotayo’s recognition was in appreciation of her commitment to her alma mater, particularly her leadership in mobilising members of her graduating class to commit over N100m towards the renovation of the School of Management and Business Studies building.
Abdul described the intervention as “an inspiring example of alumni loyalty, institutional partnership and the importance of giving back to the society that nurtured one’s development.”
He said the honour was also intended to encourage students and alumni to excel in their chosen fields and give back to their alma mater.
Abdul said, “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.
“It also sends a strong message to our students that the foundation they are receiving at Yaba College of Technology can prepare them for leadership and excellence in any chosen field of endeavour.”
Speaking on the actualisation of the conversion of the college to a university, Abdul said the next step was for the bill signed into law by Tinubu to be gazetted, after which the Ministry of Education would carry out the necessary institutional evaluation.
This, he said, would be followed by the National Universities Commission carrying out accreditation of its courses.
He, however, noted that the institution already had the necessary internal committees in place to actualise the conversion.
“Efforts are on. 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,” Abdul said.
At the 38th convocation ceremonies to hold from November 13 to 19, Abdul said the institution would graduate 10,886 students from its 2024/2025 academic session across its full-time, part-time and Centre for Open, Distance and Flexible e-Learning programmes.
Of the graduands, 361 earned distinctions, 3,160 obtained upper credits, 5,696 graduated with lower credits, while 1,669 obtained pass grades.
While withholding their names until convocation day, Abdul announced that the overall best Higher National Diploma student, from the Department of Electrical Engineering, recorded a cumulative grade point average of 3.96, while the best National Diploma student, from the Department of Mechatronics, also scored 3.86.
The convocation lecture, scheduled for November 17, will be delivered by the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, on the theme, “From Silos to Synergy: Reimagining Nigeria’s Tertiary Education System for National Transformation.”
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