By Gabriel Dike
The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has backed the Federal Government’s plan to transform Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) into a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) university, contrary to its initial notion of a conventional university.
The National President of NAPS, Comrade Eshofune Oghayon, and the executives unanimously lent their voice and support to the move to convert the foremost institution in Nigeria into a technical and vocational university during a fact-finding visit to the college management on Thursday, July 3, 2025, held at its Council Chamber.
In his address to the management, Oghayon disclosed that the visit to the college was to discuss issues concerning the Association, particularly the transformation of YABATECH into a full-fledged university. Oghayon stated that the news of YABATECH’s transformation into a university initially came to the Association as a direct attack, as the only institution in Nigeria that the Association considered to have a complete structure was YABATECH.
He explained that NAPS is aware of the institution’s contribution to national development and its significant improvements. He added that YABATECH has contributed immensely to the industrial development of the nation, and if such an institution under the umbrella of NAPS is converted into a university, it would mean a loss rather than a gain. According to him, NAPS was not entirely comfortable with the decision, hence the reason for the visit. “YABATECH is a structure in NAPS, and we hold it in high esteem,” he said.
He asserted that the Association is not against progress, but as an organisation, it is necessary to constructively engage relevant stakeholders and be carried along in such changes. The president reiterated that NAPS has long advocated for the conversion of the National Board for Technical Education into a National Commission for Technical Education and for upgrading the status of Higher National Diploma to Bachelor of Technology, which the government has declined to grant.
The body, he averred, is not against progress and cannot directly or indirectly oppose whatever the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is proposing. However, as an organisation, it is their duty to speak the truth to power, constructively criticise, and engage relevant authorities whenever there are issues that affect the students of polytechnics. “Technology drives a nation’s economy, and the grassroots foundation of such technological development is technical education in Nigeria,” said Oghayon.
He appealed to the management to upscale and continue to actively participate in all the activities of the Association pending the conclusion of its transformation. Speaking, Chairman of the Stakeholders Committee of the Association, Comrade Mohammed Abdullakiz Sarkis, said it would not be a thing of joy to see an institution that has been the pride of the Association converted to a university.
In his response, the Rector of YABATECH, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, enlightened the NAPS executives and other student activists present that the plan to convert YABATECH to a university began as far back as 2000, as the institution has been building the necessary capacities to move to the next level. Abdul stressed that the conversion is neither imposed nor politically influenced, stating that the move has been consistently pursued. “We were not cajoled; we asked for it. Yaba College of Technology wants a nation to learn, and the only thing that is paramount is change,” he said.
Addressing the issue of technological value development, he maintained that the polytechnic is the bedrock of technological advancement. He acknowledged that YABATECH’s origin and trajectory have always been rooted in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which is why the institution is seeking conversion into a specialised university. “We want to champion TVET at the topmost level, and the university, because we are yet to have TVET at university level, and it’s important for this nation to have TVET at university level. We want to be the first to have TVET at university level,” the rector stated.
Dr Abdul reiterated the institution’s commitment to promoting TVET across all sectors of education, noting the importance of future-oriented leadership in representing TVET. He added that YABATECH is set to become a university with a difference: “We will be giving TVET a representation at the highest level.”
Abdul hinged that the President has demonstrated great foresight and believes the conversion of YABATECH into a university will be highly beneficial to the nation, just as previous conversions have been beneficial to the government. “We are going to give future direction to the students, and the development of technological education in this country is the most important. We are not going to be a theoretical university at all. And we don’t even believe that universities are not contributing their own quota to the development of this country,” he said.
He relayed that the college has never regretted any past conversion efforts in its history before becoming YABATECH and that progress has always been evident. He assured NAPS that the conversion is consistent with past changes that have brought development to both students and the nation. “You are proud of YABATECH today because it was converted, and this conversion has always been the progress of the nation,” he said.
He urged all students to see themselves as one, working together for national development, especially at the tertiary education level, emphasising that there should be no feelings of superiority or inferiority. Hence, he called for a symbiotic relationship across all levels of education. “We are all expected to be working for the development of our nation, and everybody is important. The role of everybody is important; we should always appreciate the complementary roles. There is nobody whose role should be downgraded or considered as unimportant,” he said.
He therefore admonished all student bodies to embrace a symbiotic relationship and do away with dichotomy. “There are some problems that need theoretical formulation only. We should see ourselves as one and united, and then there should be no superiority of one over the other,” Abdul counselled.