The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to convert the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) into the Yaba Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies.
The bill, titled “A 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),” was sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) and referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND for further legislative work, with a report expected in four weeks.
Presiding over the plenary, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) expressed optimism that the transformation of the premier polytechnic would further enhance Nigeria’s drive toward technical and vocational education.
In his lead debate, Senator Bamidele noted that the proposed legislation builds upon a presidential fiat already issued to effect the transformation of YABATECH into a university. He emphasized that the change would motivate students and staff, expand facilities, and reposition the institution to better address the country’s technical and vocational needs.
According to him, “The New University will encourage the advancement of learning and provide opportunities to all persons regardless of race, creed, sex, or political beliefs. It will offer instruction in various fields of learning, promote scholarship, and conduct technical research.”
The lawmaker added that the new university would serve as a critical tool for Nigeria’s ambition to rank among the world’s top 20 economies, by producing skilled manpower equipped to tackle the nation’s technological and industrial challenges.
If enacted, the university will have the authority to create faculties, research institutes, colleges, and other academic units, subject to approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC). All assets and staff of YABATECH would be transferred to the new university, with prior service recognised for pension and employment continuity.
Senator Bamidele expressed hope that the institution would emulate world-class standards, citing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a model for combining tradition and innovation.
The bill’s progression marks a significant step in Nigeria’s educational reform agenda, particularly in boosting technical and vocational education to meet modern economic demands.
