By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
The Rector of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr Ibraheem Abdul, has described the Registry as the institution’s administrative backbone, urging sustained investment in staff capacity development.
Abdul said administrative staff played critical roles in maintaining institutional stability, managing records, administering personnel and implementing management decisions.
He spoke at the grand finale of the 2026 Social Week of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), YABATECH Chapter, in Lagos.
The two-day event, which began on Monday with a health walk, ended on Tuesday with a seminar, panel session and question-and-answer segment at Yusuf Grillo Auditorium, Yaba.
“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,” Abdul said.
The rector emphasised the need for continuous professional development and an enabling work environment to strengthen staff performance and institutional effectiveness.
Earlier, a Deputy Registrar, Mr Joseph Ejiofor, called for stronger institutional collaboration, practical education and innovation to accelerate Nigeria’s technological transformation.
Ejiofor, of the Registry’s Junior Staff Personnel Unit, made the call while delivering a keynote presentation at the event.
Speaking on the theme, ‘The Backbone Agenda: Powering Nigeria’s Digital and Technical Renaissance’, he described polytechnic education as central to developing skilled manpower and advancing industrial growth.
He urged polytechnics to demonstrate their relevance through practical skills, innovation and solutions to societal challenges, rather than relying solely on academic certificates.
Ejiofor identified negative perceptions of polytechnic education as a major obstacle, noting that society often regarded it as a second-choice option despite its contributions to technological advancement.
“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.
He stressed that graduates must demonstrate practical problem-solving abilities and respond effectively to changing industrial demands, urging institutions to prioritise competence over certificates.
The administrator also called for stronger partnerships between polytechnics and industries to address unemployment, infrastructure deficits, technological dependence, industrial underdevelopment and persistent skills gaps.
He recommended modern laboratories, responsive curricula and entrepreneurship programmes to improve graduates’ employability and strengthen Nigeria’s productive capacity.
Ejiofor further urged institutions to improve communication by publicising successful graduates, innovations, industry partnerships and research achievements to enhance public understanding of polytechnic education.
He emphasised that teaching and non-teaching staff must respect one another, describing both groups as essential partners in institutional effectiveness and academic excellence.
“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”.
Ejiofor urged employees to embrace responsibility, collaboration, efficiency and innovation, adding that polytechnics must reclaim their place in national development through competent graduates and practical solutions.
Earlier, Mr Jason Kayode, SSANIP chairman at YABATECH, said the Social Week recognised staff members whose often-unseen contributions sustained institutional excellence.
Kayode said the 2026 programme featured health walks, seminars, worship, sporting activities with sister unions, cultural celebrations involving traditional rulers and a thanksgiving service.
“The Backbone Agenda celebrates administrators, technologists and professionals whose often-unseen contributions keep YABATECH functioning effectively, while promoting health, intellectual engagement, unity, cultural heritage and spiritual reflection among staff,” he said.
Dr Mercy Ogunbisi, chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), YABATECH Chapter, congratulated the SSANIP leadership and members, pledging continued cooperation on staff welfare and institutional development.
She urged union members to sustain unity, mutual respect and constructive engagement in defending their legitimate interests.
Similarly, Ms Biekoroma Amapakabo, pioneer president of SSANIP at YABATECH, described the Social Week as an opportunity to strengthen solidarity among members.
Amapakabo commended Kayode and his team for combining work with leisure, urging members to uphold the association’s values while prioritising staff welfare and institutional growth.
“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”.
Members of the Non-Teaching Staff Union of Polytechnics (NOTSUP) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) attended the programme.
