The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has urged graduates of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos to utilise knowledge gained from the institution to serve humanity and remain exemplary citizens.
He spoke to 7,717 graduating students at the combined 35th Convocation and 76th anniversary of the institution.
The event, on Thursday, was held in the institution’s Philip Adegbile Sports Complex.
The ceremony also featured the conferment of Fellowship Awards on three outstanding Nigerians for their contributions to national development.
The awardees were Lady Christine Otedola, a former First Lady of Lagos State and matriarch of the Otedola dynasty; Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu, first President, Nigeria Labour Congress; and Prof. Babagana Zulum, an accomplished administrator and Governor of Borno State.
Mamman called on stakeholders and industrialists to complement government initiatives through contributions to research, structure development, scholarships for underprivileged students, capacity building and graduate employment.
He said: “This partnership will significantly augment the accomplishments facilitated by agencies like TETFund, PTDF and International Development Partners.
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“A four-year strategic plan is underway as a roadmap for the development of the sector, a crucial step in this direction was the Federal Government organised National Stakeholders Workshop held on October 19, poised to reshape the future of education in Nigeria.
“We collectively recognise the pivotal role of Science and Technology education in national growth, as a primary driver; the Polytechnic sub-sector occupies a central position in our quest for technology development.”
The Minister also urged the college management to respond creatively to contemporary challenges, foster innovation, and fabricate tools for agriculture and manufacturing industries.
He charged the managements of tertiary institutions generally to take decisive measures in eliminating social vices such as cultism, exam malpractice among others on campuses,
Mamman, represented by Ezonebi Azorbo, Director, Legal Services at the Federal Ministry of Education, said the vices threaten the aspiration of building world-class institutions and nurturing enduring professionals.
Earlier, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, Rector, YABATECH, in his speech, described the institution as a national heritage, adding that the College had zero tolerance for cultism and other social vices.
He said that the management endeavoured to produce graduates that would be self-reliant and innovative.
Abdul said: “It is my firm belief that all the graduand, and indeed all in attendance, have been well impacted and empowered to be competent and skillful entrepreneurs that would affect the growth of our country.”
He gave the breakdown of the performance of the 2021/2022 Academic Session (Full-Time and Part-Time) set as: 254 (distinction), 1,893 (Upper Credit division), 3,940 (Lower Credit), while 1630 were in the Pass grade category.
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