President Bola Tinubu has approved the conversion of Kaduna Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology in Lagos into universities, paving the way for expanded degree programmes and specialised technology and vocational training.
The assent, signed on October 14, was announced on Thursday by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on House Services, Daniel Amos.
The institutions will now be known as the Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies, Kaduna, and the Federal University of Technology and Vocational Studies, Yaba, Lagos.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, sponsored both bills as part of efforts to reform Nigeria’s education sector.
The new laws repeal the existing legislation establishing the two polytechnics and provide legal frameworks for their operation as universities.
The upgrade is expected to expand access to degree programmes, strengthen research and innovation, and produce graduates with skills relevant to industry and Nigeria’s changing economic needs.
Established in 1956, Kaduna Polytechnic is one of Nigeria’s oldest polytechnics, with a longstanding record in technical and vocational education.
Yaba College of Technology, established in 1947, is Nigeria’s first higher education institution. Its upgrade is expected to expand its capacity for advanced technical training, research and university-level education.
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Amos commended Tinubu for assenting to the bills and praised Abbas for his legislative leadership.
“Speaker Tajudeen’s leadership on this bill demonstrates purposeful commitment to education and national development,” he said.
The House of Representatives pledged support for the implementation of the new university framework.
The transition is expected to involve regulatory approvals, including programme accreditation by the National Universities Commission, as well as arrangements for staffing, academic structures and the conversion of existing programmes.
The implications for current students, particularly those pursuing Higher National Diplomas, will depend on the transition arrangements and the programmes approved under the new framework.
The development follows an earlier proposal to convert the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, into the Federal University of Mining, Engineering and Technology, Nasarawa, to promote specialised training in mining, engineering and mineral processing.
The initiatives reflect efforts to expand university-level opportunities and align technical and vocational education with Nigeria’s industrial and economic development needs.
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