Yaba College of Technology, popularly known as YABATECH, was founded in 1947, and is Nigeria's first higher educational institution. It is located in Yaba, Lagos. It has a student enrollment of over 16,000.
Overview
Yaba College of Technology was established in 1947 as a successor of Yaba Higher College. It attained autonomous status in 1969 by virtue of Decree 23 which granted it the mandate to provide full-time and part-time courses of instruction and training in technology, applied science, commerce and management, agricultural production and distribution; and for research. Yaba College of Technology is the first higher institution in Nigeria to establish a Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, with linkages with the world of commerce and industry. The centre offers compulsory courses which must be taken by all students throughout their stay in the college. There is a Quality Assurance Unit in the college which monitors the quality of academic service delivery. The Applied Research and Technology Innovation Unit was established to promote research and linkages with private sector organizations for the exploitation and use of research. ARTI also assists to promote linkages between students of Yabatech and students of other institutions especially in the area of research. Free medical service is provided at the Medical Centre, which is open 24/7. Sports facilities are provided at the sport complex which is located at the centre of the campus. The college has won the Nigeria Polytechnic Games Association five times out of sixteen editions of the competition. The college has a second campus at Epe, this campus is home to the Department of Agricultural Technology and Michael Otedola Information and Communication Centre. The College is currently headed by Engineer Obafemi Omokungbe, the Rector. He is the first alumnus of the institution to be appointed Rector. He succeeded Dr. Margaret Kudirat Ladipo, on March 6, 2018 who completed her tenure December 10, 2017. The name was changed to Federal Polytechnic Yaba in 1979, but changed back to the current one in 1980. The over 70 years Institution has been headed by a number of Indigenous Principal and Rectors: Dr E.A Akinleye - Principal Mr G.M Okufi - Rector Dr Philip Adegbile - Rector Mrs F.A Odugbesan - Rector Mr Olubunmi Owoso - Rector Dr M.K Ladipo - Rector Engr. Obafemi Owoseni Omokungbe - Incumbent Rector
Courses and Programmes
Yaba College of Technology has eight schools and thirty-four academic departments with a total of sixty-four accredited programmes, across ND,HND and Post-HND levels. The college also offers certificate courses. YABATECH offers B.Sc courses in Technical and Vocational education and Postgraduate Diplomas in Engineering. The two programmes are run in conjunction with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Federal University of Technology, Akure, respectively. The student population which is made up of both full-time and part-time students is in the range of 15,000, while the staff strength is 1,600. In April 2015, the National Board for Technical Education approved five new courses for Yaba College of Technology. The courses are Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication, Banking and Finance, Metallurgy Engineering, National Diploma in Welding and Fabrication and Public Administration. In June 2019, Yaba College of Technology made the move to partner with a leading Nigerian security solutions company to design and implement a Security Management Certification Programme. According to the duo, the programme targets individuals, who desire to be modern security managers and those in active security employment or planning to venture into the security industry from managerial levels. Speaking at an event organised recently by the institutions to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, Director, Yabatech Consult Limited, Uduak Inyang-Udoh, said the collaboration would bridge the knowledge gap in attaining global security standards. The College also has a functioning radio station YCT RADIO 89.3FM, the radio station was established to serve as a training ground for mass communication students and future broadcasters
