Gabriel Dike
The UNESCO –UNEVOC has selected Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) as one of the centres for the Innovation Hub (1-hub) in Africa to promote innovation in tertiary institutions.
Officials of UNESCO–UNEVOC disclosed this recently at YABATECH innovation week with the: “Innovation and creativities in the digital era”.
The event attracted key stakeholders, which include the representative of the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr. Masa’udu Kazaure, Managing Director of Slot Systems, Mr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo, Director General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Segun Kadri, acting Director General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr. Chima Igwe, officials of UNESCO-UNEVOC led by Wilson Lima-Junior, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Innovation, Mr. Olatubosun Alake and principal officers of the college led by the Rector, Obafemi Omokungbe.
Lima-Junior told the gathering that YABATECH was among ten African countries selected and the only tertiary institution in Nigeria to host a center of UNESCO-UNEVOC Hub (I-hub).
He said UNESCO-UNEVOC mandate is to coordinator network and that there are 255 international networks partners, stressing ‘’we selected ten institutions in Africa and YABATECH is one of them”.
He disclosed that 1–hub project is about innovation, which help institutions to generate resources and share with others.
The project officer of UNESCO–UNEVOC, Katrina Ormuz said innovation framework was developed in 2018 but was launched in March 2019. She commended YABATECH for being among the ten higher institutions in Africa selected for the project.
In his presentation, Dr. Sagara Kama, from Sri Lanka urged tertiary institution in the country to focus on innovation in agriculture to produce food for the masses.
Declaring the event opened, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Dr. Kazaure said the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education and the board will continue to support technology and skills acquisition.
Dr. Kazaure, who was represented by the Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Mr. Olusegun Aluko, explained that the expectations of government is that the centre will ginger the interest of the youth on ICT and skills acquisition. He hoped that more of the hub will be established in other institutions in the country.
In his paper, Mr. Ezeigbo, who spoke on “Disruptive Innovation: The need for a triple helix partnership” said innovation is a new way to boost the economy of a country and that entrepreneurs must embrace it in their business strategy.
Said he: ‘’Higher institutions must provide the platform for students to acquire technical skills and industries must stimulate students to come out with relevant projects. Institutions must collaborate with the industries”.
Ezeigbo stressed that syllabus used in schools should be dictated by the industries, “the curriculum should align with what the industries need. The current curriculum is obsolete and need to be reviewed to align with the current trends”.
While the Director General of MAN, Mr. Kadri, disclosed that Nigerian youth must be innovative to find solution to societal problems, adding “our youth should look at critical issues to tackle”.
Kadri, who spoke on “Promoting sustainable youth entrepreneurship through partnership” said youths which make up 60 percent of the nation’s population are under utilised, thus leading to brain drain.
The Director General of FIIRO, Dr. Igwe, lauded YABATECH for being the first beneficiary of UNESCO- UNEVOC innovation I-hub in Nigeria and West Africans.
“It is expected that this 1-hub will serve as a yardstick among colleges of technology/institutions through local, national and global activities which are designed to help students maximises three potentials”, Igwe noted.
In his speech, YABATECH Rector, Mr. Omokungbe appreciated UNESCO-UNEVOC for picking the college out of numerous tertiary institutions in the country to house the innovation 1-hub.
Omokumgbe, who is an engineer, revealed that, the 1-hub would play a crucial role in disseminating new innovative ideas. He said the college will partner with other institutions to exchange ideas.