The Senate has taken a major step toward upgrading Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) to a university.
The bill for the change passed its second reading on Monday and has now been sent to the Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND.
The committee is expected to work on the bill and report back in four weeks.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), led the session during Tuesday’s plenary.
The bill is titled: “Bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of the Yaba Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies Yaba, Lagos State and to make comprehensive provisions for its due management and administration and for other related matters, 2025 (SB. 738).”
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), explained the goals of the bill during the debate. He said the purpose of the bill is to officially upgrade YABATECH into the Yaba Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies. This transformation had already begun through a presidential order.
Bamidele said, “This Bill seeks to establish Yaba Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies, Yaba, Lagos State. The Bill was read the first time in this Hallowed Chamber on Tuesday, 11th March, 2025.
“The Bill essentially seeks to transform and upgrade the YabaTech to Yaba Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies, Yaba, Lagos State, which has already been done via a presidential fiat. Nigeria’s steady march towards education for all in the shortest possible time has taken a giant leap with the introduction of this Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of this university.
“I am personally excited by the prospect of transforming this Polytechnic to a University of Technology and Vocational Studies, as it will motivate both students and academic staff, just as it will upgrade its facilities and enhance its capability to achieve its objectives.
“Similarly, The New University will encourage the advancement of learning and hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction the opportunity of acquiring a higher and liberal education. It will also do the following: Provide courses of instruction and other facilities for the pursuit of learning in all its branches, and to make those facilities available on proper terms to such persons as are equipped to benefit from them; Encourage and promote scholarship and conduct research in all fields of learning with emphasis on technical education.”
Bamidele stressed that if Nigeria wants to be among the world’s top 20 economies this century, it needs strong educational institutions that focus on technology.
He said, “Our educational authorities are moving to revamp our institutions to meet these objectives. Yaba Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies, when enacted by the National Assembly will have power to establish such campuses, colleges, faculties, institutes, schools, extra-mural departments and other teaching and research units within the University as may from time to time seem necessary or desirable subject to the approval of the National Universities Commission.
“To ensure continuity in the administration of the university, all property held by or on behalf of the Yaba Polytechnic shall be vested in the University and be held by it for the purposes of the University. Notably, all staff of the Polytechnic are hereby transferred to the university, and previous service in the Polytechnic shall count as service for the purposes of any pension payable by the university.
“The institution is prepared to undertake the educational and other modifications that are a natural corollary of transforming to a university. The institution is also prepared to remain true to its core mandate of producing well-trained manpower capable of driving the technological, management, and business goals of the nation. In this regard, it will seek to emulate the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which has built upon a tradition of distinction to become one of the world’s foremost educational institutions.”
He concluded by expressing his full support for the bill and hoped it would eventually become law.