Senate: Bill to Convert Yaba Tech passes Second Reading

The long standing move by the Senate to convert the Yaba College of Technology into a full operational Federal University of Technology, Yaba, on Tuesday passed the second reading in the Senate.

The Bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND. The committee is expected to report back in four weeks.

The Bill was for an Act to provide for the establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Yaba. It included other matters, 2020 (SB.85) and was sponsored by Senator Solomon Adeola, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos West.

The leader of the debate for the bill, Senator Adeola said that the bill was presented in the last Senate and was not passed.

He noted that the bill seeks to upgrade the oldest tertiary institution in Nigeria, established in 1947 during the colonial era into a university of technology.

He added that the upgrade will stimulate the economy’s need for requisite technical, scientific and technological skills for its effective operation.

Adeola also said that the upgrade will address the huge demand for technology oriented tertiary education that the mega city of Lagos requires to function optimally in the interest of Nigeria.

“This upgrade is different from creating a New University from the scratch as is currently being done for most new Universities,” he said

Other Senators who spoke in support of the bill included:

Senators James Manager(PDP, Delta South)

Abdulfatai Buhari(APC, Oyo North)

Ayo Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo Central)

Barau Jibrin(APC, Kano North)

Ibrahim Gobir(APC, Sokoto East)

Bayo Osinowo(APC, Lagos East)

Adamu Aliero(APC, Kebbi South)

Ajayi Boroffice(APC, Ondo North)

Kola Balogun(PDP, Oyo South)

Isah Jubrin(APC, Kogi East),

Micheal Nnachi(Ebonyi South).