EDUCATIONAL NEWS OUR FACULTIES ARE SERIOUSLY OLD, WE NEED BRAND NEW REPLACEMENTS. Dr. Engr. Abdul

By Leo Ezekiel

Speaking as the Rector of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos to the participants at Yusuf Grillo Auditorium, Yaba College of Technology with his welcome address at the Convocation Lecture of the 35th Convocation Ceremony Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Adedokun Abdul states that their facilities are seriously old adding that they need brand new replacements so as to making the entire campus conducive for effective learning processes for the students and Teachers alike. 

Speaking further he states that he is heavily elated to have RT. Hon. Femi Gbajabamala, Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the Guest Speaker, with theme of the lecture titled ’’Empowering Nigerian Youths in the Present Day Economy “adding that he is also excited to welcome the Chairman of the occasion, His Excellence, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, the president of the Red chambers, Federal Republic of Nigeria and that Dr. Barr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani represented him as the chairman of the event.  

He added that the choice of the Guest Speaker is as a result of his actively and practically involved in Youths Empowerment for several years.  He added that the guest speaker perfectly understood the workings  and directions of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President and Commander –In-Chief of Armed Forces His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He added that he believes that the lecture will not only inspire their graduates, but also ignite passion within them to heavily pursue their dreams and as well as overcome obstacles and largely contribute meaningfully to the Development of the Republic.  The Rector Dr. Engr. Abdul stated that it is the pride of the nation when it comes to Manpower, Development Technological Advancement and Youth Empowerment adding that to achieve these noble goals the Regime of All Progressives Congress (APC) under watch of PBAT has put in place several laudable initiatives targeted at Youths Empowerment are as follows:

§  The Quadruple Helise collaboration scheme for youth empowerment

§  The establishment of a centre for technology marketing and product development

§  The YCT Industry Alliance Group (YIAG) program

§  The student’s work and study scheme

 

Speaking as the Chairman of the occasion through his representative Dr. Barr. Ubani he stated that he is so honored to be invited to share in the joy of the celebration of the 35th Convocation of Yaba College of Technology, Nigeria's premier tertiary institution adding that since its establishment 76 years ago, Yaba College of Technology has consistently maintained its reputation as a center of Academic Excellence and a Hub for Technological Innovation. 

Speaking again the Senate President Senator Akpabio stated that they have gathered here to mark another significant milestones in the history of this institution. Yaba College of Technology which has not only remained true to its identity and purposes, but, has also become a cherished symbol of the nation's educational heritage adding that the fact that its name has remained unchanged over the years is a testament to its historical significance and he also added that while some institutions have evolved from colleges of technology to universities. 

He believes that Yaba College of Technology should be recognized and respected for its rich history. Just like renowned institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, and Imperial College, London, have retained their original names despite their university status, Yaba College of Technology deserves to be acknowledged for its unique and historic contributions to the nation’s educational landscape.

Speaking to the audience through his representative Dr. Barr. Ubani he calls upon the relevant regulatory bodies to consider the possibility of granting Yaba College of Technology the status of a university without insisting on a name change adding that this would ensure that institutions like Yaba College of Technology, which have become an integral part of the national history, can meet the requirements and functions of a university while retaining their well-deserved recognitions. Further he says as the saying goes, it is not the hood that makes the monk, but rather it is the monk that makes the hood.

 

The Senate President Senator Akpabio through his representative Dr. Barr. Ubani gave advise to the graduating students as he extends his heartfelt congratulations adding that today marks the beginning of a new journey for each of them, and the choices they make will shape their future. He commends the authorities of Yaba College of Technology for organizing a lecture that addresses a pressing issue of the present issues of the time: Empowering Nigerian Youths in the Present Day Economy. He says has no doubt that the speaker will provide valuable insights on the topic.

In addition the Senate President of Red Chambers stated that he emphasizes the need for a shift in the mindset of the youths, instead of solely seeking opportunities for personal gains and proximity to political powers, the youths must be encouraged to focus on creating and innovating ideas, because not everyone will solely aim to share the national cake. He queries who will bake it for them? He urges all and Sundry to be the ones who bake the cake as well as, to rise to the challenges, and to believe in the ability to make a difference as they are well armed with the knowledge and skills they have acquired, dare to dream big and produce ideas that can change the world.

Speaking again to the graduating Students he tells them that they should not limit themselves adding that they should remember that great thinkers and innovators like Albert Einstein and John Dalton were ordinary individuals who used their minds to revolutionize their fields. He tells them just like these men they have the power to make groundbreaking discoveries and contribute to society. In addition to strength, stamina, skill, and speed, (traits required for victory in sports in particular and in life generally) it is their spirit, most importantly, that will be the driving force behind their success, and that they should believe in themselves and embrace every challenge with determination and resilience. 

Speaking as the guest speaker of the thirty-fifth convocation lecture of the Yaba College of Technology, one of the most nation’s famous institutes of learning and skills acquisition the Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria RT HON Femi Gbajabiamila stated that the gathering of the thirty-fifth convocation lecture of the Yaba College of Technology is an opportunity for them to have meaningful conversations about the future of tertiary education in the country and the roles they all have to play as politicians, administrators, parents and stakeholders to ensure that the future of the nation’s youth is better than today, and all yesteryears adding that he is grateful for the privilege to contribute his perspectives and experiences to the conversation.

Speaking further to the audience he says that he has been asked to speak on “Empowering Nigerian Youths in the Present Day Economy”. He says again that this is a timely topic at a critical time, for the government, and indeed for the nation, that there must be no higher aspirations than ensuring that the massive and growing populations of Nigerian youths are engaged in productive endeavours, earning a good living, and competing favourably with their peers across the world. He belives that achieving this goal requires all and sundry to rethink all assumptions and recognize that the current realities demand that they ask hard questions and provide answers that are as honest as they are considered.

Speaking again to the audience he says that the world has changed rapidly that the old certainties from which they derived assurance and built their expectations no longer exist because the value of the extractive industries that have powered the economic growth has deteriorated and as It continues to do so rapidly as technological advances lead them toward a future where crude oil and coal are replaced by renewable solar, wind, and water alternatives. In addition the guest speaker stated that the illusion of national wealth, under which they have laboured for too long, has been exposed by a rapidly growing population for whom there are too few jobs and limited opportunities for social and economic advancement.

Speaking again to the academic audience he says that education is the foundation of national wealth in this new economy. So, the first answer to the question of how to empower the nation’s youth in the present-day economy is evident. That they must ensure that the young people receive an education that inspires them to innovate and empowers them with the skills and confidence to participate in the global economy adding that they must ensure that their higher education institutions are citadels that produce graduates who have the desires and drives to change the globe and who have the ability to do so.

The former Speaker of Green Chambers Abuja says that education in the twenty-first century is not merely about skills acquisition and specialization but disruption and reinvention that quality education in the 21st knowledge economy must empower the individuals to operate effectively in multiple fields, and as well as to ask hard questions and challenge the status quo. He adduces that the essentially, purposes of 21st-century education is not merely skills acquisition and specialization but disruption and reinvention. However he says that to achieve this, that they need to do this by reviewing the curricula and teaching methods to situate the practices in the context of global labour needs. 

Again he says that they require a programme of aggressive and sustained investment in education not only in the physical infrastructure of classrooms and lecture halls, but, in technology hardware and software to facilitate information exchanges and innovations.

The guest Speaker tells the audience that in this new world they have found themselves in, nothing has changed as drastically as the nature of work and how they measure productivity adding that many skills that guaranteed employment and a healthy income for previous generations have been made redundant by technological advances.          He tell the audience that this generation will not only be competing with one another for opportunities, but they will also be competing in a global marketplace, against students from all over the globe, and against technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, blockchain and financial technology tools that are increasingly replacing the human functions in the workplace that they must prepare themselves with these realities in mind.

Speaking further he tells the graduating students that this is an opportune moment for them because in this moment of transformation and transition, as the old rules are being rewritten, young people like them are best placed to take advantage of the opportunities that will emerge from this transition therefore they have to take advantage of energy and the benefit of looking at the globe with new eyes, that they do not need to take these for granted. Instead, they must wake up every day and determined to devote their learning, ambitions and energy to understanding this new world and take advantage of the many opportunities that abound. 

Speaking with iconblazemagazineonline Dr. Barr. Ubani who represented the Chairman of the event state that there is no way we can change this country if the mindset of the youths are reengineered adding that the reengineering simple means that we can only succeed when we go out of this country which is largely wrong. Speaking further he says that we can succeed in Nigeria because there are great opportunities adding that we should depend on government every time to make provision at all time. He says again that independently that the people that found the electricity we are using today are also human beings like us. He says all the scientific breakthrough is as a result of self-efforts adding that they did what they did in order to advance the society. 

Speaking he says that their government supported them with research grants adding that running away from the country will not solve the problems. He says that everybody should contribute his/her little quota to national development and that when one does the authorities will begin to recognize such person again he says everybody should critically contribute to the national development so that the country will be of benefits to all and sundry. He say that we can succeed here not until we run  to abroad that we can succeed adding that despite that the environment is not conducive yet, people will still succeed if they show their little quota into national development. He says that no nation succeeds without science and technology adding that what we have today in India, China, America, Great Britain is as a result of the fact that their government funds research project adding that the only success hub is through science and technology. 

He says that government must be interested in funding research that there are many research works that are piled up in several universities adding that many educational papers produced from the universities and colleges of technologies are wasting away in the dust bin. He submit that the government must holistically fund researches for development. The 35th Convocation Lecture is been moderated by the College Public Relation Officer Mr. Adekunle Adams, and of a truth he carried the audience along with his lucid performance. And Mrs. Olabisi Adeniji the Chairman Ceremonies Committee of the 35th Convocation of Yaba college of Technology and her team are adequately and publicly praised by the Chairman of the event and as well as the guest speaker. Mr. Okoroafor Uneke won consolation prize for innovation research.