YABATECH Rector Calls for Investment in Administrative Staff

By Atlantic Reports

Yaba College of Technology Rector Dr Ibraheem Abdul has called for sustained investment in administrative staff development, describing the Registry as essential to the institution’s stability and effectiveness.

Speaking at the finale of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), YABATECH Chapter’s 2026 Social Week in Lagos, Abdul highlighted staff responsibilities in records management, personnel administration and implementation of management decisions.

“An institution’s greatness is not measured by its structures alone, but by the dedication, resilience and brilliance of the people who keep its wheels turning every single day,” he said.

He urged continuous professional development and a supportive working environment to improve performance.

The two-day event began on Monday with a health walk and concluded on Tuesday with a seminar, panel discussion and question-and-answer session at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium, Yaba.

Practical Skills and Industry Partnerships

Delivering the keynote presentation, Deputy Registrar Joseph Ejiofor called for closer collaboration between polytechnics and industry to strengthen practical education and technological development.

Ejiofor, of the Registry’s Junior Staff Personnel Unit, spoke on “The Backbone Agenda: Powering Nigeria’s Digital and Technical Renaissance”.

He said polytechnics should demonstrate their relevance through skilled graduates, innovation and solutions to societal problems.

He identified perceptions of polytechnic education as a second-choice option as an obstacle to its recognition.

“How did technical and practical education become less prestigious than theoretical education in a country that desperately needs skills, innovation, manufacturing, technology and entrepreneurship?” he asked.

Ejiofor urged institutions to prioritise practical competence and respond to changing industrial demands. His recommendations included modern laboratories, responsive curricula, entrepreneurship programmes and stronger industry partnerships.

He also encouraged polytechnics to publicise graduates’ achievements, research, innovations and collaborations to improve public understanding of their work.

“The real challenge before us is not simply to change what people think about the Polytechnic; it is to give them compelling reasons to think differently,” he said.

Recognition for Work Behind the Scenes

SSANIP Chapter Chairman Jason Kayode said the programme recognised administrators, technologists and other professionals whose contributions often received limited public attention.

He described Social Week as a means of promoting staff health, intellectual engagement, unity and cultural heritage alongside recognition of their work.

Ejiofor also called for mutual respect between teaching and non-teaching staff, saying both were essential to institutional effectiveness.

Dr Mercy Ogunbisi, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics at YABATECH, pledged continued cooperation on staff welfare and institutional development. She urged members to maintain unity and constructive engagement in pursuing their interests.

SSANIP’s pioneer president at YABATECH, Biekoroma Amapakabo, said the occasion offered an opportunity to strengthen solidarity and renew commitment to members’ welfare.

“Social Week reminds us that beyond files, schedules and duties, we are family bound by solidarity. Let this week renew our commitment to members’ welfare and YABATECH’s growth,” she said.

Members of the Non-Teaching Staff Union of Polytechnics and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions also attended.

The event brought staff development and practical education into the same discussion. Turning those calls into institutional improvements will require defined training opportunities, adequate facilities and partnerships that benefit both employees and students.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.