By Gabriel Dike

Chairman, Governing Council of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Prince Lateef Fagbemi, yesterday tasked the Federal Government to include representatives of Alumni Association in the polytechnic governing council.

Fagbemi advocated for the inclusion of Alumni association as members of the governing council at a national workshop organized by YABATECH Alumni Association in commemoration of its 70th anniversary held at National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

He described alumni as ambassadors of their institutions and said the role of the body in any institution can not be dispensed with.

The senior advocate of Nigeria explained that the course of YABATECH would no doubt be further advanced ‘’if the representatives of the Alumni association are present on the governing council of the institution which I strongly advocate’’.

According to him, alumni of any institution is a major stakeholders of the institution and should be involved in knowledge-sharing and intellectual discourse, landmark celebration and other economic and social activities in support of its alma mater.

Fagbemi acknowledged the partnership between the management of the college and alumni of YABATECH in several areas such as the construction of Augustus Aikhomu hall, ICT and multipurpose building while noting that the college library and Yusuf Grillo Art Complex were designed by an alumnus of the college, Late architect Lai Balogun.

He disclosed that the workshop in commemoration of 70th anniversary of YABATECH is a further testimony of support the institution enjoys from its alumni association.

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The governing council chairman described the theme of the workshop ‘’Business financing in a growing economy’ as apt, considering the present economic fortunes of the nation.

President of YABATECH Alumni Association, Pastor Oluwafemi Martins, said the idea of the workshop is a fall out of the think-tank committee of the national executive council of the body on the nation’s economy as it affects education.

Martins used the occasion to advocate for Nigeria to meet UNESCO 26 per cent minimum allocation recommendation for education in every country’s budget stating ‘’For us, it is clear one of the ways to evaluate the premium the nation places on education is from it allocation to educational development.’’

He explained that the body would use the workshop to draw the attention of stakeholders to the need for Alumni of tertiary institutions to come together to critically consider and draw notice of our leaders to lopsided budgetary allocation to the education sector.

Said he:‘’ Based on wrong perception of inferiority of polytechnic education in Nigeria, the nation has remained under-developed and likely to remain so for as long as technological education is not given pride of place.

‘’Polytechnic education is not having the real impact on industrial technological development and is yet to seriously help in tackling and reducing unemployment in the nation because those who gain admission thereto are not motivated.’’

In her goodwill message, the outgoing Rector of YABATECH, Dr. Margaret Ladipo, pledged that the college management would continue to partner with the Alumni association for the development of the institution.

‘’The Alumni association and management of the college have journeyed together through the year as partners in progress, with a common goal of promoting the development of YABATECH. We have achieved a lot together for the institution’’, she stated.