Funmi Ogundare
The Chairman of the Governing Council of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Prof. Funso Isolaowa Afolabi, has known as for pressing institutional reforms and the institution of a brilliant intelligence power to deal with rising challenges because the establishment prepares to transition into the Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies, Yaba, Lagos.
Afolabi, who made the decision on the third quarterly common assembly of the Governing Council, described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the invoice establishing the college as a defining second within the establishment’s historical past.
He acknowledged that the event ought to spur renewed dedication to accountability, transparency, innovation, workers welfare and improved educational requirements.
In his paper titled, ‘Answering Tomorrow: Future-Facing Our Collective Pursuits of Higher Technical Learning and Practice in an Institution in Transition’, he mentioned the anticipated transition requires the governing council, administration and educational board to maneuver past celebrating the achievement and start making ready for the calls for of college standing.
“We are now ready to start answering tomorrow,” he acknowledged, emphasising the necessity to translate the institutional transformation into measurable enhancements in educating, analysis, sensible coaching, infrastructure, workers welfare and scholar growth.
He recognized transparency and accountability in scholar admissions and administration, workers recruitment and retention, technical operations, scholar affairs, skilled union relations, educational administration, exterior collaborations, analysis, venture monitoring, campus safety and amenities administration as precedence areas requiring sustained consideration.
The chairman mentioned the establishment had adopted a number of governance and administration methods to deal with its challenges, together with digitalisation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), efficiency critiques, benchmarking, infrastructure rehabilitation, stronger partnerships, self-discipline and rewards, and outsourcing.
He additionally emphasised the necessity to strengthen analysis and growth, publications, entrepreneurship, technical innovation and environmentally sustainable practices, whereas adapting world options to native wants.
Afolabi mentioned the success of the reforms would depend upon efficient collaboration among the many governing council, administration and educational board, with choices guided by info, skilled requirements and the establishment’s long-term pursuits.
He added that YABATECH should protect its historic management in technical schooling whereas embracing the tutorial tradition and operational calls for related to its transition to a college.
To gauge expectations concerning the establishment’s future, the chairman introduced survey findings masking scholar coaching and funding, workers growth and welfare and amenities throughout the Yaba and Epe campuses.
The findings confirmed that 82 per cent of respondents expressed optimism about enhancements in scholar coaching and funding, whereas 71 per cent anticipated progress in workers growth and welfare. Another 63 per cent anticipated enhancements in amenities and buildings.
Afolabi described the outcomes as an encouraging indication of confidence within the establishment’s future however warned that the constructive outlook mustn’t result in complacency.
He mentioned the findings additionally highlighted the necessity to tackle infrastructure gaps, enhance workers welfare, strengthen scholar assist and be sure that the advantages of the transition reached members of the faculty neighborhood throughout each campuses.
The council chairman attributed the establishment’s transformation to the mixed efforts of the Federal Government, National Assembly, governing council, administration, educational board, workers, college students, skilled unions and different stakeholders.
Afolabi additional careworn the significance of efficient public relations and protocol in speaking the establishment’s achievements, managing stakeholder expectations and reassuring workers and college students concerning the alternatives and duties accompanying the transition.
He urged the governing council and administration to maintain their collaboration, undertake proactive approaches to institutional challenges and be sure that all reforms had been applied persistently and sustainably.
“Timely interventions and effective follow-through would be critical to securing the institution’s future and ensuring that its transition into a university delivered tangible benefits,” the chairman acknowledged.
