By IKENNA ASOMBA

Determined to actualise Federal Government’s policy on increased access to quality education in the country, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, is set to increase her carrying capacity to cater for the high number of candidates seeking admission into the college through the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The management of the institution has just concluded the inspection of resources and carrying capacity status visit by its regulatory agency, National Board for Technical Education.

In her address at the plenary session of the NBTE visit, the rector of the college, Dr. Margaret Ibiyeye-Ladipo, disclosed that over 100,000 applicants are seeking admission into the college through JAMB in the last UTME.

She said: “The college is responsive to the Federal Government’s transformation agenda of increasing access to quality education in Nigeria and this course we are championing. To this end, a 500-seater lecture hall is being upgraded to a 2,000 capacity block of classrooms with offices for lecturers; a seven-story building which is nearing completion and would be ready for the next academic session, contains 93 offices, seminar rooms and a completed two-storey building donated by the college alumni.”

Similarly, the rector disclosed that the college is constructing another 1,300- seat auditorium with complement of classrooms to seat additional 360 students with other buildings for Marine Engineering and Agriculture situated at her Epe campus including the School of Science building; the Rector, added.

Dr. Ladipo told the NBTE team that the process of shortlisting of applicants is on-going to complement the staff on ground as required by the NBTE while a number of equipment in various departments have been purchased, the library stock- piled with current books, journals and supported by the e-library.

She, however, lamented the present carrying capacity of the college which is less than 3000, noting that “since each year we get not less than 100,000 applicants seeking admission into the college.

In his response, the head of the NBTE Carrying Capacity/Resource Inspection Team, Mr. Ifejika A. applauded the drive of the College at inviting the NBTE for the program as this is very rare amongst the higher institutions of learning.

He commended the college on the efforts put in place at providing for all the regulatory body’s pre-requisites and requisites for the exercise before the college can scale through, noting the body’s commitment to improved access to quality education.