FG Targets Industrial Revolution in Polytechnics, Eyes Yabatech as Key Hub
Funmi Ogundare
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to transform Nigeria’s polytechnics into centres of innovation, production and industrial growth, with Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) positioned as a major driver of the initiative.
This renewed push was underscored during the visit of the Ministerial Committee on Skills Development and Engineering Workshop Intervention in Nigerian polytechnics to the institution, where members assessed progress in skills development and the utilisation of intervention facilities.
Leading the delegation to the college Thursday, President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Prof. Sodiq Abubakar, said the government was determined to shift the nation’s education system from certificate-driven learning to practical skills acquisition, innovation and product commercialisation.
He explained that the committee was established to ensure accountability and value for money in government investments in human capital development across tertiary institutions.
According to him, the era of producing graduates without practical competence must give way to a system that prioritises hands-on proficiency and industry relevance.
“We have been focusing more on curriculum and certification for decades, but many graduates lack hands-on proficiency and practical skills. The government has risen to change that narrative,” he said.
Abubakar further disclosed that the committee had been divided into sub-groups nationwide, with the South-west team assigned to inspect selected polytechnics participating in the Federal Government’s ‘One Polytechnic, One Product’ initiative.
He described Yabatech as one of the foremost polytechnics in the country, selected for the intervention due to its long-standing reputation in engineering and technical education.
Under the initiative, institutions are expected to identify commercially viable products, build industrial partnerships and establish production lines capable of competing in both local and international markets.
Drawing inspiration from Japan’s post-World War II industrialisation model, Abubakar said the programme was designed to move polytechnics beyond research papers and prototypes to full-scale industrial production.
“We want to see Yabatech becoming an industrial hub with products branded and competing globally. Everything research, teaching and innovation, must translate into products that can attract investors and create jobs,” he added.
He also noted that the Federal Government, through its intervention agencies, was prepared to provide significant funding support for viable products and partnerships with the capacity to scale commercially.
In his remarks, a member of the committee, Chief Olawumi Gasper, emphasised that the new policy direction would prioritise innovation-driven enterprise development over mere accreditation and certification.
He observed that many institutional workshops are filled with abandoned prototypes due to lack of funding, commercialisation pathways and industry collaboration.
“The narrative is changing from just producing graduates to building mini-industries within polytechnics,” he noted, stressing the need for stronger partnerships with private sector players possessing marketing and business expertise.
In his response, the Rector of the college, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, described the intervention as timely and transformative, commending the Federal Government and the committee for the initiative.
He noted that while the institution had consistently pursued innovation and product development, inadequate funding had hindered efforts to scale prototypes into commercial production.
He stated that Yabatech researchers have developed several patented products and machines over the years, but the high costs of production, testing and market validation have limited their commercial viability.
“We have done a lot of production process designs and innovations, but funding has always been the major challenge. Sometimes even producing samples for testing is extremely expensive,” he said.
Abdul added that the institution had stepped up efforts to move its innovations beyond the laboratory, including engaging researchers and patent owners on commercialisation opportunities.
He reaffirmed the college’s commitment to aligning with the Federal Government’s vision of transforming polytechnics into hubs of industrial production and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
