From Dotun Omisakin, Lagos
The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has donated a N50million endowment fund for the overall best graduating female student of Yaba College of Technology.
Mrs Tinubu announced this while delivering her acceptance speech after she was conferred as a fellow of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) at the 36th convocation ceremony held in Lagos.
“In pursuant of this vision to promote education of students, I hereby donate the sum of Fifty Million Naira (N50,000,000.00) as an Endowment Fund for the overall best graduating female student of Yaba College of Technology,” she said.
The first lady who was represented by the immediate chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, LASUBEB Wahab Alawiye-King, appreciated the institution, describing education as the bedrock of development.
“Education has always been the cornerstone of my belief in personal growth and development. It is my firm belief that it is a collective responsibility of everyone to prepare the young ones for tomorrow,” she said.
The speaker, Abass Tajudeen, who was also conferred as a fellow of the institution, highlighted the undergoing efforts to improve funding of polytechnics education, saying a motion was moved in the house to increase funds.
“Just yesterday (Wednesday), a motion was in the house to increase the funding of Polytechnics. What I am saying just addressed the funding of Polytechnics,” he said.
The speaker who was represented by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, Kayode Laguda, described the recent motion as a testament to improve the country’s polytechnic education.
“Also in the house of representatives, we have moved a bill which was moved by humble self to criminalize the dichotomy between HND and BSC.
“These two bills show that the honorable speaker has the polytechnic and nation in mind because we all know that innovation and technology are the bedrock of Polytechnic,” he added.
Earlier, the Rector, Engr. Ibraheem Abdul lamented that the institution is confronted by infrastructure deficit, recalling the hostel gutted by fire seven years ago still living in deplorable condition.
“One of them is infrastructure. We are looking forward to improving the infrastructures in this college. We want to go up. We are landlocked. And the only solution for us is to build edifices. Four stories, five stories, 13 stories, 25 stories, and on and on and on in college.
“Facing us directly is that memory of our hostel that has been bombed for the past seven years, and we are still looking for intervention to get this hostel by-planned again.”
He added that the students and female staffers are confronted by accommodation challenges, seeking support to build a female scholars lodge, a female lecturers lodge.
“Yaba College of Technology is looking towards having a female scholars lodge, a female lecturers lodge. We have the land there in our quarters, but it is begging for development. Apart from that, nowadays, innovation and entrepreneurship is very, very important for students.
“The challenge that we have, that we face with staff accommodation, is very alarming. The minister, sir, and special guests of honor, almost every day in my office, I receive not less than three clarion calls on a daily basis from our female staff looking for accommodation,” he said.
Soyobi Esther and Buraimoh Motunrayo who studied Food Technology both emerged as the best overall graduating female students under the special award in honor of Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
In an interview with Daily Trust, Esther expressed fulfillment, describing the award as fruit of her labour.
“I usually don’t sleep during exam period, I am already on just to cover up everything but it was really a lot,” she said.
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