The Senate has passed the second reading of a bill seeking to convert Yaba College of Technology into a full-fledged university — the Yaba Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies.
The bill, read for the second time on Monday, was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND. The committee is expected to conduct further legislative work and report back within four weeks.
The session, held on Tuesday, was presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North).
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),” the proposed legislation aims to upgrade the current polytechnic to university status.
Leading the debate on the bill’s general principles, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) stated that the initiative seeks to formally institutionalize the upgrade of YabaTech, which had already been authorized by presidential fiat.
“This bill proposes the transformation of YabaTech into the Yaba Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies. It was initially read in this chamber on Tuesday, March 11, 2025,” Bamidele explained.
He emphasized that the bill supports Nigeria’s broader goal of ensuring access to education and represents a significant step forward. “I am personally enthusiastic about converting this polytechnic into a university. It will inspire both students and academic staff, enhance infrastructure, and strengthen its capacity to fulfill its mission.”
Bamidele also noted that the new university would promote inclusivity, offering higher education opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, creed, gender, or political affiliation. The institution would also:
Offer a wide range of academic programs and learning facilities,
Encourage scholarship and research, particularly in technical fields.
He stressed that to meet Nigeria’s ambition of becoming one of the world’s top 20 economies, the country must strengthen its educational institutions to produce graduates equipped for technological advancement.
Bamidele added that once enacted, the new university would have the authority to establish campuses, faculties, and research centers as approved by the National Universities Commission.
He assured that continuity would be maintained, as all assets of the current polytechnic would be transferred to the university, and existing staff would retain their positions with their previous service recognized for pension purposes.
The institution, he said, is ready to embrace the transition and remain committed to its mission of developing skilled manpower to drive Nigeria’s technological, business, and management sectors. He cited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a model the new university aspires to emulate.
Bamidele concluded by expressing his full support for the bill’s eventual passage into law.
