YABATECH matriculates 17,130 for 2025/2026, assures students on university transition

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has matriculated 17,130 students for the 2025/2026 academic session, and reassured students and stakeholders that the process of its transition to a full-fledged technical and vocational university remained firmly on course.

Ibraheem Abdul, the rector at YABATECH, speaking during the matriculation ceremony held on Thursday, at the institution in Lagos, said the federal government’s approval for the conversion of the 79 -year-old institution into a university had reached advanced stages, with legislative processes already ongoing at the National Assembly.

The rector clarified that the announcement regarding the institution’s university status was not a new development but a reaffirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s approval and commitment to the process.

“The announcement is not new. I am just reiterating it to the new students that the President has approved our conversion to a university. The Minister himself made the announcement last year and I want to assure everyone that it is on course,” he said.

Abdul explained that the process had already secured Senate approval and was currently before the House of Representatives for concurrence before transmission to the president for assent.

“The process is at the Legislative House now. We have Senate approval and very soon the concurrence by the House of Representatives will be there and the bill will go to the President for signature,” he said.

Abdul, however, emphasised that the institution would continue to operate as a polytechnic pending the completion of regulatory and accreditation processes by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

“These are not our last set of students as a college because there are still processes to follow. The NUC has to approve our courses before degree programmes can commence. We will continue our admissions as a polytechnic while the transition progresses,” he added.

Besides, he used the occasion to unveil massive infrastructure expansion plans aimed at positioning the institution for its proposed university status.

“President Tinubu had approved a N5 billion take-off intervention fund for the construction of a 13-storey building within the institution, alongside another N2 billion intervention for faculty development projects.

“We are going vertical. The President has approved a sum of N5 billion start-up for our 13-storey building. He has also approved another N2 billion for faculty development here in Yabatech. We are transforming from one-storey and two-storey structures to high-rise buildings,” he said.

He further revealed that the institution was simultaneously expanding its Epe campus while developing additional infrastructure in Yaba, including new hostels and academic facilities.

Abdul noted that the federal government had recently approved a presidential initiative hostel project that would provide 1,500 bed spaces for students.

“We still have spaces for development and we are not resting on our laurels,” he said.

The rector also announced plans for the creation of new faculties, including the Faculty of Health Technology and the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, in line with emerging national and global manpower demands.

He explained that the institution admitted 17,130 students from a total of 24,655 applicants for the 2025/2026 academic session.

Breakdown of the admission figures showed that 655 candidates applied for B.Sc (Education) programmes, out of which 555 gained admission into the School of Technical Education.

For the Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes, 6,274 candidates applied while 5,551 were admitted, while 17,726 candidates applied for the National Diploma (ND) programmes, with 11,024 eventually admitted.

He urged the new students to embrace discipline, academic excellence, entrepreneurship, innovation and religious tolerance while shunning cultism, examination malpractice, drug abuse and other social vices.

“Cultism, examination malpractice, drug abuse, bullying and all forms of indiscipline have no place in Yabatech. Any student found involved in cult-related activities will face expulsion and possible prosecution,” he warned.

Abdul reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to practical education, entrepreneurial development and industry-driven learning, stressing that Yabatech remained focused on producing globally competitive graduates equipped with hands-on skills for national development.