Senate Commitee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, chaired by Senator Ahmad Baba- Kaita (APC Katsina North), has organised public hearing on the need to upgrade the Yaba College of Technology and Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, to Universities of Technology, respectively.

The gathering also discussed the essence of upgrading the Nigeria French Language Village in Ajara, Badagry, Lagos State to an Inter-University Centre for French Language Studies.

In his presentation on the bills, the sponsor, Senator Solomon Adeola said the need to expand opportunities for the teeming youths in the country in gaining admission admission into universities for good education, particularly technology-based one, informed his sponsorship of the bills.

He informed that sponsorship of the bills “are all pursuant of one of my legislative agenda to enhance and develop educational institutions as well as human resources development in Nigeria.”

“It is elementary to state that all aspects of development in modern world are premised on the level of education obtainable in the society.

“With the massive explosion in our population estimated at over 200 million and the youthful segment consisting of over half of that figure, there is no doubt that the number and available admission spaces in our existing universities are quite limited in absorbing the number of our people desiring higher education at the university level.

“With about 170 public and private universities in Nigeria with a capacity for about 700,000 students at any point in time, it is clear that in Nigeria we are yet to get to the point where we have enough admission spaces in universities for our youths in Nigeria.

“The need to expand opportunities for our teeming youth in gaining admission into universities for good education, particularly technology-based education, informed my sponsorship of the bills to upgrade two major existing polytechnics to full-biown universities of technology,” he explained.

Adeola went further: “The need for the establishment of this university of technology is informed mostly by historical imperatives as well as the expansion and development of the Yaba College of Technology since its establishment in 1947 as a successor to the Yaba Higher College way back during the colonial era. Indeed, it is undisputable that Yaba College of Technology is the ‘cradle of higher education in Nigeria’

“The mandate of the school is to provide full-time and part-time courses of instruction and training in technology, applied science, commerce, management and in such other fields of applied learning relevant to the needs of the development of Nigeria in the areas of industrial and agricultural production and distribution; and for research in the development and adaptation of techniques.

“The institution to a large extent has fulfilled this mandate over the years with many of its graduates playing key roles in our industry and the economy.

“The establishment of this university of technology will go a long way in addressing the challenge of the huge demand for requisite educational institution for the Mega City of Lagos State. From all estimates, projections and demographic studies, Lagos State population of over 20 million will continue to grow as a  mega city.

Making similar presentation on the  the bill for the upgrade of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro to a Federal University of Technology, Adeola said: “The imperative for the establishment of this university of technology is informed mostly by the expansion and development of the polytechnic from its inception in 1979, some 42 years ago.

“The establishment of Federal University of Technology, Ilaro in Ogun State will also go a long way in balancing the spread of educational infrastructure in the state and other parts of our nation.”

He added that for the bill on the establishment of Nigeria French Language Village, Ajara Badagry, Lagos State, as an Inter-University Centre for French Language Studies, its passage and eventual enactment into law,  will cure the anomaly of the institution’s existence in Nigeria since 1991 (29 years) without a legislation.

According to him, in our on-going drive for holistic development, Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in French Language proficiency among the comity of nations at the international level.